OMAHA, Nebraska -- Making the program’s 36th appearance at the College World Series, the Texas Longhorns opened against fifth-ranked Arkansas at TD Ameritrade park in Omaha.
Arkansas drew first blood when Heston Kjerstad drove in a run with a base hit RBI in the first inning. Arkansas took the lead 1-0.
In the next inning, the Razorbacks threatened with a runner on third but Texas starter Nolan Kingham settled down and worked his way out of a jam to keep the score, 1-0.
The Longhorns would tie it up in the third inning. Tate Shaw tripled to right center with no outs. Subsequently, Ryan Reynolds would bring him home with an infield sacrifice, knotting the game up 1-1.
In the fifth inning, Texas had runners in scoring position with one out. David Hamilton would drive in the go-ahead run with a sacrifice fly, giving the Horns their first lead of the game, 2-1. Blaine Knight for Arkansas would limit the damage after that. Striking out Duke Ellis.
In the bottom of the fifth, things got a little heated. The Horns had a chance at a double play but David Hamilton’s throw to Jake McKenzie at first was out of reach. Heston Kjerstad raced back to the base knocking McKenzie down. Tempers then flared between Kody Clemens and Kjerstad, exchanging a few words. The next batter, Luke Bonfield would homer to center, bringing in Kjerstad with him. Razorbacks took the lead 3-2.
With the unenviable job, Parker Joe Robinson came in to relieve Kingham in the bottom of the sixth inning. While he inherited two runners on with zero outs, he walked the first batter he faced to load the bases. In uncharacteristic fashion, Robinson walked in a run to push the Arkansas lead to 4-2. David Pierce kept him on a short leash calling to the bullpen for Josh Sawyer. Not much luck there either, though. Sawyer walked in the first batter he faced to give Arkansas a 5-2 lead.
Then the rain came.
The game resumed after a two hour and forty-seven minute weather delay. But the break didn’t lend any momentum to the Longhorns. It took five relief pitchers total to finish the sixth inning, but not before Arkansas scored eight runs, to lead 11-2.
Texas was able to get on the board in the eighth. After scoring two runs, the Horns loaded the bases, but a popup by David Hamilton would strand three. Texas cut the deficit to 11-4.
In the end, the Longhorns dug themselves too big of a hole to climb out of. The 11-5 loss means Texas moves to the elimination bracket. They’ll face the loser of #9 Texas Tech and #1 Florida.
