Texas Baseball: One run short in Big 12 Tournament Title game

Texas Baseball fell one run short of winning the Big 12 Tournament Sunday in Oklahoma City.

The Longhorns had multiple opportunities to win the Big 12 Tournament Title against Oklahoma State, but the old adage of baseball being a Game of Inches hurt Texas.

The final score was Oklahoma State 6, Texas Baseball 5 in a game that clinched a spot in the NCAA Tournament for the Cowboys. [ Full Box Score ]

Now the Horns have to wait to find out if their great performance in the Big 12 Tournament was enough to host a Regional in the NCAA Tournament. Or, will the Horns be one of the highest 2 seeds in the big tournament?

Texas Baseball Jumped Out Early

In this rematch from the 2015 Big 12 Tournament Final that Texas won, the Longhorns jumped out to an early 2-0 lead. Texas then led 3-1 when ace starter Morgan Cooper left the game.

This is when the Game of Inches started to hurt Texas. In the top of the fourth, Connor Mayes entered for Cooper.

The first batter Bryce Fischer hit a high fly ball to left field. Travis Jones struggled with the high sky to make the play and it fell just in front of his diving attempt for a leadoff double. That got the Cowboys’ rally started.

Reliever Chase Shugart eventually entered and gave up the lead. The Cowboys plated three runners in the fourth to take a 4-3 lead. It all started with a misplayed flyball for a double that Jones just missed.

The Horns then loaded the bases for Kody Clemens with one out in the bottom of the fifth. Kody had already come up big to give Texas a 3-1 lead. And, he sent a rocket to third base that was caught so close to the bag that it doubled off big brother Kacy Clemens to end the rally. A few inches closer to the line and it’s a bases-clearing double for Texas to re-take the lead.

Then in the sixth inning, center fielder Austin Todd misplayed a double to the warning track that gave OSU a 5-3 lead. A few inches closer to his glove and OSU likely does not score in the inning.

After OSU took a 6-3 lead in the seventh, Texas started to battle back. The Horns scored twice in the bottom of the seventh to climb within 6-5.

Texas continued to put pressure on the Cowboys with runners in scoring position in the eighth inning. But, Texas could not get that clutch hit.

After Beau Ridgeway shut down the Cowboys in the eighth and ninth innings, it was up to a bottom of the ninth rally.

Michael Cantu singled with one out, then pinch runner Tyler Rand stole second base to bring up David Hamilton with two outs.

On the first pitch, Hamilton just missed a double down the right field line that would have tied the game. After that fourth reminder of baseball being a Game of Inches, Hamilton popped out on the next pitch to end the game.

Next: Kacy Clemens Interview - 2017 UT Baseball, CWS, more!

Texas Baseball had Good Tournament Run

Oklahoma State had to win the Big 12 Tournament to qualify for the NCAA Tournament. But, if Texas won, they likely would have locked up a Regional host spot in the big tournament.

Now, Texas Baseball will wait to see if conference tournament wins over Oklahoma, Kansas, and TCU were enough to keep the Longhorns in Austin to start the NCAA Tournament.

If not, then Texas will have to turn into road warriors winning in another ballpark. We’ll find out Monday where they will start their latest quest to reach the College World Series in Omaha.