First game in a best-of-three championship series between the Texas Longhorns and the Florida Gators. Longhorns have an extra day of rest and have been able to set up their rotation how they want it. On the other side of things, Florida is going with a freshman pitcher who hasn’t worked since May 25th.
First inning
Longhorns ahead early again. Centerfielder took a misstep and then had no prayer catching a liner off the bat of Will Crouch. Nick Peoples, who walked to lead-off the game, scored easily on the play. Make the freshman throw strikes and jump on him early and he might not be around long.
Horns’ defense a little shaky but they use a double play to get out of the inning quickly. They lead after one, 1 – 0.
Second inning
The Gators would be really stupid to throw Wheeless anything within three feet of the inside corner, I still can’t believe Baylor threw him that pitch. Locke is smart and pounds him away, away, away for a strike out.
David Maroul is really playing well here in Omaha, great in the field as usual but has also stepped it up at the plate. Florida’s defense tried to help Texas get a run home, but are able to get out of the inning without any damage.
Alaniz has looked pretty good through two innings. He’s nibbling a little off the outside corner but he’s hitting the spots he’s trying to and just not getting the call way outside he’s hoping for. With an early lead you don’t want to walk anyone and let them get into the game without having to hit the ball. Texas still up 1 to nothing.
Third inning
You can only hang so many breaking balls to somebody hitting the ball as well as Crouch is right now, you got away with one but the second one is a home run to left and Texas is up by 2.
I love Augie Garrido, said he chose to be the visitors this game so tomorrow afternoon they wouldn’t have to be in the sunny dugout. While we’re on the subject of these between inning interviews, Erin Andrews is hot and I’m not sure I’ve noticed that before when she was on Braves telecasts. While I was Googling for pictures of her, Alaniz breezed through the inning and after three Texas is leading Florida 2 to zip.
Fourth inning
Told you Maroul was hitting the ball well and I also told Locke to stop hanging curveballs but nobody was listening and Maroul just launched a two run shot to left field.
Strikes Drew, strikes.
Ump is giving both pitchers the outside corner and then some, especially if the catcher sets up out there. Well just as I said that, a close pitch from Alaniz is called ball four.
Alaniz cruises again and after four Texas is up 4 – 0.
Fifth inning
New Florida pitcher Connor Falkenbach has a nasty submarine delivery but his stuff doesn’t look too scary. When a guy throws like this with a ton of movement it can be pretty brutal, but Falkenbach looks like a guy with good stuff that doesn’t really take advantage of the motion. He needs to develop some nasty slider that looks like it’s going to kill you and then ends up a strike. He made pretty short work of the Longhorns in the top of the 5th though.
Dear Longhorn hot chicks: We appreciate you coming out to the game and the three hours it probably took you to get ready, but please actually wear something burnt orange. Not brown, not pink, not lime green, freaking orange. I know you want to stand out but this isn’t a fashion show. If you want people to notice you, just wear something burnt orange and really revealing.
Great throw by Teagarden on Dickey’s attempted steal but Hudson had the ball knocked out of his glove and Dickey was safe. Harold Reynolds claimed it was disrupting the pitcher, but even after the steal Alaniz threw five great pitches and got a strikeout and a dribbler to second. After five full innings Texas still up four to zero.
Sixth inning
Break for Texas on Maroul’s grounder down the line. Looked like it bounced off the bag but actually skipped up and over just before and may have been a foul ball. Third baseman probably should have charged it and got to it before it reached the base, because he left himself with essentially no play on the ball and just praying it went foul.
[tag]Cat Osterman[/tag] is nine feet tall and totally hot. She even had a little Mini Me
standing next to her. Just another part of UT’s plans for world domination.
Tough little pop fly falls in in right field. Peoples must have been playing way towards center. The second baseman Hudson has to get there because of the angle the first baseman has to run to get there makes it an impossible catch. Hard shot to right field but Peoples catches it on the run to end the closest thing Florida has had to a scoring opportunity. Texas is up 4 – 0 after the sixth.
Seventh inning
If Drew Stubbs puts the ball in play, he will get on base regularly. It took an excellent play by the second baseman to barely get him out at first.
Will Crouch needs a triple for the first College World Series cycle in fifty years but it isn’t going to happen. Really hard to hit triples at Rosenblatt, the field just isn’t big enough for them. Any well hit ball goes over the wall.
Unless Alaniz gets in major trouble, I’d like to see him go at least 8 innings and maybe try to save J. Brent Cox. Just throw strikes and make them hit you. DO NOT WALK ANYONE. Got the first out here in the seventh on a great catch and tag by Wheeless on an errant throw from Seth Johnston.
Another one, two, three inning for Adrian Alaniz. He was a little wilder though in that inning but still got the job done easily. Through seven innings, 4 – 0 Texas.
Eighth inning
Quick top of the inning for Texas, get out there and play some defense now.
I hate when middle infielders try to barehand ground balls, if you have to attempt that then you’ve got no chance of getting the guy. Come up make the play with the glove and make a quick throw to first base. A walk from Alaniz and you’ve got two on and no outs.
Second passed ball of the inning from Teagarden.
That was a great pitch by Cox to get the first out of the inning on a strikeout. Maybe a little below the knees but certainly a pitch you have to swing at with two strikes on you. Florida coach needs to keep his mouth shut, the ump has been consistently good throughout the game and you’re only going to tick him off by yelling at him on borderline stuff.
Cox struck out another guy for the second out but lets the next man ground one up the middle to score two runs. Not hit hard but got the job done and Florida has the tying run at the plate now.
Holy crap! I’ll second guess myself and Augie and say we should’ve started the inning with Cox. He was pretty lights out at first but then got wild. Sure would’ve been a little more comforting for him to work through his troubles with a four-run lead and two guys on than a two run lead and the bases loaded. Cox was pretty much unhittable, but left a ton of pitches two feet off the outside corner. Whew!
Going into the last inning, Texas leads 4 to 2.
Ninth inning
An insurance run sure would be nice here in the ninth.
That’s the first time the umpire has given anybody the inside corner like that. Let’s at least get a runner on and slow things down a little. Or maybe we’ll just go down as quickly as possible and let me stay nice and nervous.
One down, two to go. Cox just got that same inside strike call that Florida did in the top half of the inning. Throwing a lot more fastballs now, he’s got no idea where it’s going but it’s really hopping.
Another strikeout! Just one more to go. Cox is rolling, the batter needs to step out and disrupt his rhythm.
Strike THREE! TEXAS WINS! Cox strikes out six to get a shaky but spectacular save. One more win to go and the Horns are national champs.
Final score: Texas 4, Florida 2. Game two of the series is tomorrow at 2pm CDT on ESPN.
reply to #1
Matt
June 25th, 2005 at 6:49 pm
This game is getting a little scary.
reply to #2
Brian
June 25th, 2005 at 6:57 pm
No freaking kidding! That was entirely too exciting for me after sailing through the first seven innings. Sure would be nice to tack on one more run here in the top of the ninth.
reply to #3
Ta'dra
June 5th, 2006 at 3:09 pm
I Love U Cat
reply to #4
kevin
June 9th, 2006 at 10:24 pm
ur so hot i love u
reply to #5
Jen
July 21st, 2006 at 10:23 pm
men i heart texas softball and baseball is the best and so is cat
reply to #6
courtney
February 4th, 2007 at 12:15 pm
I love you cat i have been plying softball sine i was 5 yrs. old!! I am also a pitcher! I wish i could meet you