AUSTIN, Texas — No. 10 Texas Baseball cruised to a 15-2, seven-inning run-rule win over visiting UTRGV at UFCU Disch-Falk Field on Tuesday night. The win is the sixth straight for the Longhorns, moving Texas to 12-5 on the season ahead of Big 12 Conference play.
Silas Ardoin and Eric Kennedy collected three hits each and drove in five and three runs, respectively.
Pete Hansen drew the start and picked up the win, improving to 2-0 after striking out four and giving up a pair of runs on five hits.
Texas struck early, plating two runs in the first inning courtesy of an infield single, three walks and a base hit through the left side of the infield. Kennedy started things off with an infield single to first and promptly stole second. Mike Antico walked, and he and Kennedy advanced on a double steal. Zach Zubia and Ardoin each walked to drive in the first run of the game. Melendez followed two batters later with a sharp drive through the left side to put Texas up, 2-0.
The Longhorns tacked on three more in the third inning, highlighted by Ardoin’s first career home run. Kennedy led off the inning with a double to left and moved to third on a fielding error. Antico drew a walk and moved to second on a Zubia deep sacrifice fly to center that scored Kennedy. After a steal of third by Antico, Ardoin drilled a two-run shot to left to give Texas a 5-0 lead.
UTRGV (9-6) answered with a pair of runs in the top of the fourth to cut the Texas advantage to 5-2.
Texas padded the lead with six runs in the fifth to push the lead to 11-2. A pair of walks and a hit batter loaded the bases for Douglas Hodo III, who singled to left to drive in two. An infield single by Kennedy loaded the bases once again. Antico drove a ball off the centerfield wall to score two, and Texas added another on a hard groundout to short by Zubia that drove in Kennedy. Ardoin double down the right field line, scoring Antico.
Dalton Porter led off the sixth with a pitch-hit home run deep down the right field line, to put Texas up, 12-2. Murphy Stehly drew a pinch-hit walk and Dylan Campbell followed with a pinch-hit single. Hodo singled to left center to score Stehly. After a fly to center advanced the runners, Antico walked to load the bases. A pinch-hit sacrifice fly by DJ Petrinsky added a run and Ardoin singled through the left side to plate the final run, giving Texas a 15-2 lead.
Jared Southard and Sam Walbridge each pitched a scoreless inning of relief to close out the game.
Next up, Texas heads on the road to open Big 12 Conference play with a three-game weekend series against Baylor in Waco. The Longhorns and Bears get the series started on Friday at 6:30 p.m. on ESPN+.
