Texas Walks To Split

STANFORD, Calif. -- Texas jumped out to a 7-0 lead Sunday en route to a 12-4 win and four-game series split against the Stanford baseball team. The Longhorns pounded out 15 hits and were aided by nine walks from Cardinal pitchers.

Stanford (9-8) struggled to find the zone early, as Texas plated five runs in the first inning on just two hits. Starter Griffin Weir (1-1), who took the loss, lasted two outs, while walking four and allowing a single.

Texas (10-6) added a two-run shot from Tres Barerra in the second to put Stanford in what proved to be an insurmountable hole. The Cardinal attempted to climb back with two runs in the third and sixth innings, but Texas scored five more times in the final three frames to put the game in the books.

Freshman Mikey Diekroeger enters Stanford’s 12-day break for final exams as the team’s leading hitter after a 1-for-4 outing. He tripled to right center in the sixth to push his hitting streak to seven games and overall batting average to .381. Diekroeger is hitting .500 (12-24) with three doubles, two triples, a homer and eight RBI during the streak.

Texas was led by leadoff hitter Ben Johnson’s 5-for-5 day. Johnson, who homered twice Thursday, was one of three Longhorns with multiple hits and one of five with multiple RBI. All nine Texas players in the starting lineup had at least one hit and reached base on at least two occasions.

Josh Sawyer (2-1) went five comfortable innings for Texas after being spotted the big lead. He allowed two runs (one earned) on four hits), before giving way to three relievers. Diekroeger bounced Travis Duke after just 0.2 innings. Kyle Johnston (2.1 innings) and Connor Mayes (1.0 innings) finished the game.

The short-handed Cardinal did not use any of its three regular weekend starters against Texas. Stanford was also missing regular contributors Drew Jackson, Zach Hoffpauir, Jesse Kuet and Matt Decker due to injuries.

Tommy Edman started the scoring for Stanford with his team-leading seventh double of the season. He drove home Quinn Brodey, who had walked, and came around to score after an errant pickoff throw moved him to third and Jonny Locher grounded out for an RBI.

Stanford was riding an eight-game home winning streak against Texas before the Longhorns salvaged the final two games of the series. Longhorn Zane Gurwitz put the game on ice with a two-run homer in the ninth.

Stanford University is on the quarter system, thus final exams break up the team’s nonconference and Pac-12 weekend series. Arizona visits Klein Field at Sunken Diamond March 20-22.