Longhorns upended by Oklahoma in Big 12 title game

ARLINGTON — Whereas Ivan Melendez was topped on Sunday night, the Oklahoma Sooners seized the throne.

A tumultuous third inning doomed Texas in an 8-1 defeat in opposition to Oklahoma within the title sport on the Massive 12 Match. Through the lopsided loss at Globe Life Subject, Melendez turned UT’s single-season dwelling run king.

The championship was Oklahoma’s first since 2013. Texas was final the final staff standing at this convention competitors in 2015.

“It wasn’t the outcome we needed however we fought laborious and we performed numerous good baseball general,” Melendez stated. “On the finish of the day, you simply take a look at it and we misplaced the championship, it’s what it’s, we transfer ahead and we have now numerous baseball arising.”

Earlier than Sunday, Texas and Oklahoma’s baseball groups had performed 222 occasions. Solely 22 of these conferences had taken place exterior of the Austin and Norman metropolis limits. None of these video games determined a convention champion.

It did not take lengthy for Sunday’s showdown so as to add one other historic footnote.

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Roughly six minutes after the primary pitch from Oklahoma’s Cade Horton was delivered, Melendez hit an opposite-field dwelling run into the Texas bullpen. The 407-foot dwelling run was the twenty ninth of Melendez’s season. That broke a tie within the UT file books with Kyle Russell, who had established the varsity customary in 2007.

“It is nice to see my laborious work repay and to go deep at a significant league ballpark however I am a staff man,” Melendez stated. “I was most likely the least productive this complete weekend from a staff standpoint.”

That dwelling run by Melendez and a powerful begin by Travis Sthele gave Texas an early increase. However that momentum shortly shifted.

After retiring the primary six batters that he confronted, Sthele bumped into command points within the third inning. He threw eight straight balls to open the inning and that arrange a game-tying single for Kendall Pettis out of the ninth spot within the Oklahoma batting order.

Earlier than Sthele threw his subsequent pitch, he was known as for a balk that introduced a runner dwelling from third base. Whereas arguing the decision, Texas coach David Pierce was unceremoniously ejected by second base umpire John Brammer.

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Pierce known as for reliever Aaron Nixon earlier than his ejection however that call led to 4 straight Sooners reaching base. The third Longhorn who pitched within the third inning — senior Tristan Stevens — instantly gave up a three-run blast.

By the point that Texas (42-19) lastly bought out of the inning, Oklahoma (37-20) had constructed an 8-1 lead. Sthele, Nixon and Stevens mixed to permit 5 hits and three walks within the body. Neither Sthele nor Nixon recorded an out.

“Video games like this, you are all the time making an attempt to determine when a man’s performed, working out of juice,” UT assistant coach Sean Allen stated. “Simply making an attempt to determine the place’s the Magic 8 Ball? Clearly if we checked out it, (Sthele) dominated for 2 innings and we felt we may sneak one other one out.”

Down by seven runs, Texas was unable to rally. The Sooners restricted Texas to 4 hits, two of which have been recorded with two outs within the ninth inning.

Key play: Texas was instantly given the chance to answer Oklahoma’s offensive outburst when two Longhorns moved into scoring place with one out within the fourth inning. Horton bought out of the jam with strikeouts of Skyler Messinger and Silas Ardoin. 

Horton, who entered the sport with a 7.94 ERA, ended up putting out 9 Longhorns over 5 1/3 innings of two-hit baseball. In whole, Texas struck out 16 occasions on Sunday.

Notable quantity: 7. Sunday marked the seventh time that Oklahoma and Texas met in one of many Massive 12’s championship contests. The Sooners at the moment are 4-3 in these matchups.

Up subsequent: Through the eighth inning of the Massive 12’s championship sport, the NCAA introduced that Austin had been named a bunch web site for the regional spherical of the NCAA Match. Texas will discover out the three groups it’s internet hosting throughout Monday’s choice present.