Umpires Overshadow 2017 Texas Baseball Opener
It was a rough night for the men in blue, but not the Rice Owls. Umpires ended up overshadowing the start of the 2017 Texas Baseball Season.
Texas Baseball dropped its season opener 3-2 against the Rice Owls on Friday night after three key plays involving the umpires.
It started in the bottom of the eighth when new Texas manager David Pierce officially got his Longhorns career started with an argument at first base.
With the score tied 2-2, Texas SS David Hamilton was called out on a bang-bang play at first base. Replays on Longhorn Network showed a virtual tie at the bag, which should go the runner. But, the call stood.
Texas then put two runners on base in the eighth inning, but freshman 3B Ryan Reynolds – son of former Houston Astros pitcher Shane Reynolds – popped out to end the inning.
The game moved to the 9th tied at 2. Rice’s starting pitcher Dane Myers reached on a lead-off single. Myers, who stayed in the game after being pulled from the mound, then advanced to second base on a passed ball when Dominic DiCaprio tried to sacrifice bunt.
Unfortunately, the pitch on the attempted sac bunt struck the home plate umpire in the face. That forced a change behind the plate.
After a long delay, DiCaprio attempted another sac bunt. This time, he fouled the ball right off his foot, which should have resulted in a dead ball, but the new home plate umpire did not see it. DiCaprio was thrown out at first on the play, but Myers was able to advance to third. The remaining umpiring crew consulted on the call, but they stuck with the original call of a clean bunt and live ball.
After the third major play involving the umpires, Myers scored on the next play via RBI groundout. Rice took a 3-2 lead into the bottom of the ninth.
Texas then went down 1-2-3 in the bottom-half of the inning to lose the season opener.
It was an unfortunate way to start the season and the David Pierce Era. This was especially the case because Disch-Falk Field in Austin was packed for opening night. It was a great crowd that saw an unfortunate result.
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Texas Baseball Should Have Capitalized Earlier
Setting aside the umpiring issues at the end, Texas had their chances to win this game. The Longhorns looked sharp at the plate in the first few innings and Rice’s starter Myers struggled with command. But, the Horns were unable to put together a big inning.
Kacy Clemens drove in the first run of the David Pierce Era with a Sacrifice Fly in the bottom of the second inning. But, that was it until the sixth.
Texas starting pitcher Morgan Cooper was phenomenal as the clear Friday Night Ace. But, leading 1-0 in the top of the sixth, Cooper made a big mistake.
With two men on base and two out, Cooper hung a 1-2 curveball to Rice’s DiCaprio. DiCaprio took advantage with a sharp double to the new left field area that scored both Rice baserunners.
Rice took a 2-1 lead into the bottom of the sixth, but Kody Clemens jacked a solo Home Run to right field. This drew a big celebration from Roger Clemens and Co. sitting behind the Texas dugout.
The game remained tied at 2 until the controversial ninth inning involving the umpires.
Next: Roger Clemens Wants to Help Texas Sports Turnaround
Texas will look to even the series on Saturday when Texas and Rice meet again in a doubleheader. The four-game series concludes Sunday afternoon.