Texas sweeps OU with 8-1 win
by Steve Durham
April 13, 2014
(Austin, Texas) - Don't tell the 2014 Longhorns about last season's embarrassing (last place) finish - they're on it. This Sunday, the Horns beat OU 8-1 to complete their first "back to back" sweep since 2010.
Texas now stands in first place with their improved 9-3 record (Big 12).
The Longhorns (29-8 overall) have won 14 of their last 16 games and extended an impressive streak in Norman, where they've won 10 in a row dating back to 2008.
On Sunday, Nathan Thornhill won again. The "Sunday Slayer" is now 6-0 with a Big 12 leading ERA of 0.78. The senior from Cedar Park has allowed just five runs in 58 innings this season. Opponents are hitting a meager .168 against him.
The pitching has been so solid throughout 2014. The crux of any Longhorn debate quickly becomes, "they can pitch but, can they score?"
Well?
For the second day in a row, every single Longhorn batter recorded at least one hit. Mark Payton doubled three times, extending his on-base streak to 76 games. Zane Gurwitz doubled twice. Brooks Marlow homered and Tres Barrera and Kacy Clemens had two-hit games.
In its last nine Big 12 games (8-1 record), Texas is hitting .311 with a 2.25 ERA. Texas has scored 60 runs in those games and is 12-14 on stolen bases, with Collin Shaw (5-7) leading the way.
And don't forget about the stellar and deep Texas' bullpen, they pitched 6 1/3 scoreless innings over the weekend. Thanks to their efforts, the Longhorns are now 23-0 when leading after six innings.
Next Game: The Longhorns now return home for a 10-game home-stand that opens Tuesday at 6 p.m. against UT-Arlington. TCU comes to Austin next weekend, April 18th, 19th, 20th.
