Texas scored eight runs in its first two at-bats on a day and then held off Arkansas late in what turned into a 8-7 win for the Longhorns Saturday night at the Shriners Hospitals For Children College Classic in Houston.
Arkansas starting pitcher and loser Patrick Wicklander (2-1) gave up a pair of unearned runs in the first aided by Robert Moore’s error on a potential double play ball and an errant throw from the freshman outfielder Zach Gregory.
Wicklander was knocked out in the second inning before retiring a batter when he loaded the bases and Texas sent 10 batters to the plate against him and reliever Marshall Denton.
Zach Zubia’s two-out, two-run homer pushed Texas’ lead to 7-0 during that onslaught.
Texas starting pitcher Ty Madden (3-0) was the beneficiary of all the early runs and lasted six innings while giving up a trio of runs, six hits and fanning seven.
Arkansas relief pitcher Caleb Bolden entered in the third inning and threw four scoreless inning of relief to give his team a chance.
The Razorbacks (7-2) scored a run in fifth and two each in the sixth and seventh with Matt Goodheart’s double cutting it to 8-7 in the ninth.
It just missed being a game-tying, three-run homer.
Texas 8, Arkansas 7, Top Ninth Inning
Texas closer Andre Duplantier II is in the game for the Longhorns.
Duplantier walked Christian Franklin with one out and Heston Kjerstad singled him to third. Matt Goodheart has just cut it to 8-7 with a double that barely missed being a three-run homer.
Texas 8, Arkansas 5, End Eighth Inning
Burton works around a pair of walks to keep it 8-5.
Texas 8, Arkansas 5, Middle Eighth Inning
Hansen works around a one-out hit batter to keep his team ahead by three runs.
Texas 8, Arkansas 5, End Seventh Inning
Jacob Burton comes out to pitch the seventh for Arkansas after Caleb Bolden's stellar four-inning effort that gave his team a chance to get back in the game. He did not allow a run, fanned five and gave up just two hits.
Burton promptly fanned the side - Texas' 3-4-5 hitters in Zach Zubia, Cam Williams and Trey Faltine.
Texas 8, Arkansas 5, Middle Seventh Inning
Ty Madden's day on the mound is done with sophomore Cole Quintanilla into the game. He walked Cole Austin to lead off the inning and wild pitched him to second as Arkansas turns over the order.
Christian Franklin's one-out double chases home Austin and knocks Quintanilla out of the game in favor of lefty Pete Hansen.
Heston Kjerstad's single easily scored Franklin from second to make it 8-5 with one out.
Kjerstad was wiped out on Matt Goodheart's fielder's choice and Hansen got Casey Opitz to fly out to end the threat.
Texas 8, Arkansas 3, End Sixth Inning
One bright point from this game has been the pitching of Caleb Bolden, who has now pitched four innings of scoreless baseball. He has allowed just two hits, fanned five and walked no one. He has thrown 62 pitches with 40 of them being for strikes.
Texas 8, Arkansas 3, Middle Sixth Inning
Heston Kjerstad hits his fifth homer of the season leading off the inning with a blast over the center field fence.
Casey Opitz reached by racing to first on a passed ball once he struck out and came home on Robert Moore's double that cut it to 8-3. Moore's double came with two outs and on the ninth pitch of his at-bat against Ty Madden.
Madden has now pitched six innings and allowed three runs on six hits while fanning seven and walking one. He has thrown 100 pitches, 67 for strikes.
Texas 8, Arkansas 1, End Fifth Inning
Caleb Bolden has now thrown three scoreless innings in relief for Arkansas, who has four errors in this game.
Texas 8, Arkansas 1, Middle Fifth Inning
Arkansas finally breaks through against Ty Madden as freshman Zach Gregory singles home Robert Moore, who was running on the pitch and scored all the way from first.
Texas requested a review of the play, but the call on the field stands.
Madden then fanned Christian Franklin to keep it 8-1.
Texas 8, Arkansas 0, End Fourth Inning
Bolden gave up a two-out single to Zach Zubia, who is now 3-of-3 with a homer and two singles, but that was all.
Texas 8, Arkansas 0, Middle Fourth Inning
Casey Opitz doubled for the second time in the game, but was left stranded again. He has two of the Razorbacks three hits. Bolden returns to the mound for a second inning of work.
Texas 8, Arkansas 0, End Third Inning
Bolden pitches a strong third inning as he retires the side in order.
Texas 8, Arkansas 0, Middle Third Inning
Jacob Nesbit raced to second when his hard hit grounder to short - inexplicably scored an error at first, but later changed to a double - got into the outfield. But he was stranded as Ty Madden retired Cole Austin, Zach Gregory and Christian Franklin to escape unscathed.
Caleb Bolden relieves Marshall Denton after he and Patrick Wicklander both went one inning each.
Texas 8, Arkansas 0, End Second Inning
The Longhorns move their lead to 3-0 as DJ Petrinsky, Silas Ardoin and Douglas Hodo III all single consecutively.
Wicklander than loaded the bases by walking Brenden Dixon before going to 2-0 on Texas lead off hit Austin Todd and being taken out of the game by Arkansas head coach Dave Van Horn.
Marshall Denton is now on to pitch for Arkansas.
Todd's fielder's choice plated another run and leaves runners at the corner with one out.
The lead moved to 5-0 when Eric Kennedy could not get down a bunt and ended up hitting a sacrifice fly. Todd raced to second after Gregory's second errant throw from the outfield in as many innings.
Zach Zubia then unloaded a two-run homer that missed leaving the Minute Maid Park by about five feet to surge the Longhorns up 7-0.
Cam Williams and Trey Faltine both singled and Texas then added another run on catcher Casey Opitz' throwing error that allowed Williams to score from third.
Texas 2, Arkansas 0, Middle Second Inning
Casey Opitz doubled off the right center field fence with one out, but Ty Madden whiffed Casey Martin, who was dropped to sixth in the order tonight and was hitting .214 entering the game. He then whiffed Robert Moore leave Opitz stranded at second.
Texas 2, Arkansas 0, End First Inning
Austin Todd hit the first pitch he saw from Patrick Wicklander for a single and then moved up when freshman Robert Moore booted a tailor-made double play ball.
Zack Zubia then drove home Todd with Eric Kennedy moving up to third on an errant throw from freshman left fielder Zach Gregory.
Cam Williams grounded into a 6-4-3 double play that scored Kennedy and Trey Faltine's grounder ended the inning and both runs being unearned.
Arkansas 0, Texas 0, Middle First Inning
Arkansas freshman lead off hitter Zach Gregory just missed an extra base hit down the left field line, but Texas starter Ty Madden fanned him and Christian Franklin and then retired Heston Kjerstad on a comebacker to the mound to set the Razorbacks down in order.
Pregame
Old Southwest Conference rivals Arkansas (7-1) and Texas (9-1) are set to finish off the second day of the Shriners Hospitals for Children College Classic with a first pitch set for 8:35 p.m.
Both teams come in off their first losses of the season with Oklahoma downing Arkansas 6-3 and LSU topping Texas 4-3 in Friday games the Houston Astros' Minute Maid Park.
In games earlier Saturday, Missouri downed Oklahoma 8-7 in 10 innings and Baylor rallied to down LSU 6-4.
The Big 12 holds a 3-2 lead over the SEC in the College Classic to this point.
Sunday's scheduled has LSU facing Oklahoma at 11 a.m., Missouri and Texas battling at 3 p.m. and Arkansas and Baylor capping the event at 7 p.m.
Here are tonight's starting lineups
ARKANSAS (7-1)
LF Zach Gregory .400
CF Christian Franklin .414
RF Heston Kjerstad .394
DH Matt Goodheart .235
C Casey Opitz .346
SS Casey Martin . 214
2B Robert Moore .370
3B Jacob Nesbit .310
1B Cole Austin .250
P Patrick Wicklander (2-0, 0.00 ERA)
TEXAS (9-1)
CF Austin Todd . 342
LF Eric Kennedy .241
1B Zach Zubia .250
3B Cam Williams .300
SS Trey Faltine .233
DH DJ Petrinsky .150
C Silas Ardoin .308
RF Douglas Hodo III .182
2B Brenden Dixon .087
P Ty Madden (2-0, 0.60)