This game was surreal. It was an ordeal. Although I had over seven hours to think about it, I can't really put into words what it was like watching a 25 inning baseball game. Just a couple of innings shy of a triple header. Texas went 22 straight scoreless innings. Twenty two. I just can't describe the offensive futility. Imagine any football team with CloseToJumping at wide out.
The crowd was fantastic. They had numerous opportunities to pack it in, but when the game ended I bet 90% of the fans were still around. Even though they closed all concessions except one, and that one had a line that stretched to Round Rock. It was Stockholm Syndrome, and we all began to sympathize with the players who held us hostage.
Any soft throwing lefthander with an offspeed pitch owns us. Army's starter on Friday shut us down, and so did BC's Pat Dean. Texas started out great, and they should have chased Dean early. They had seven hits through the first four innings but only two runs. We got maybe three hits over the next nine. Think of it as the baseball equivalent of Mack Brown's recruiting.
Texas had multiple chances to win it.
- They loaded the bases with two out in the 8th, but David Hernandez grounded out on a 2-0 pitch that looked like ball three.
-Travis Tucker was called out at second on a force play in the 14th when everyone watching could see that he was safe. Brandon Belt then hit a long single that would have scored Tucker.
-They had two on with one out in the 19th and got nothing.
-Preston Clark pulled what would have been a two run homer foul in the 22nd.
-In the 23rd Connor Rowe was on second with one out. Tucker then hit the ball up the middle that the pitcher was able to field and then get Rowe caught in a rundown.
Texas left 24 runners on base. Michael Torres went 1-12 and personally stranded 10. Cameron Rupp went 2-11 and struck out six times. Scipio would probably strike out less than that at the Playboy Mansion. I said probably.
Now to the great. Austin Wood gave the best individual pitching performance I have ever seen. He was Louis Gossett Jr in 'Diggstown.' He did what couldn't be done. I was upset when he entered the game with one out in the sixth. He threw 30 pitches on Friday, and I thought he was being overused. I had no idea.
But he was incredible. He went 12 1/3 innings before allowing a hit. BC has six lefties in their order, and they couldn't touch him. Not even close. The righties couldn't touch him either. No one could. Thirteen scoreless innings, 2 hits and struck out 14.
And he threw 169 pitches. Yeah, that's kind of a lot. But he never looked tired. He never looked like he lost any velocity. "In the dugout, Skip [Johnson] and I were talking about him and whether he should come out or stay in," Augie Garrido said. "He (Wood) walked by both of us and said, "I’m not coming out of this game." Guts, balls and adrenaline. We'll see how well he pitches in the super regional.
Starter Chance Ruffin gave up two runs in his 6 1/3, and Austin Dicharry allowed only two baserunners over the final 5 2/3 innings. Our pitching has only given up 3 runs in 34 innings, and we've only used four pitchers. Whomever we play tonight will have burned through their staff.