Texas Baseball: Horns get walk-off win in first Super Regional vs. USF

In the first meeting between No. 2 ranked Texas baseball and the surging South Florida Bulls this weekend in the Austin Super Regional, fireworks were delivered. Head coach David Pierce saw his team hold the edge over the Bulls most of the way, but a late rally from the USF side put them in a position to challenge Texas late.

In the first two innings of the game, Texas scored one run each. And they maintained that two-run lead for most of the game until they extended it to three in the bottom of the seventh. A three-run top of the ninth inning was what extended the game for USF in the first place.

Texas couldn’t stop the home runs from coming from the USF side in the top of the ninth inning. One of two hits on the night for Daniel Cantu was a one-run homer in the top of the ninth. That was the first run of the game for the Bulls.

Then, USF got a clutch home run from a pinch hitter to tie the game up. Drew Brutcher hit a two-run shot later in the top of the ninth inning to tie the score up at 3-3 for USF. Although freshman right-hander Tanner Witt got his fourth win of the season, he gave up three earned runs in the top of the ninth and nearly cost the game for starting pitcher Ty Madden.

Ty Madden and Eric Kennedy help to deliver the win for Texas baseball

Madden was brilliant on the mound for the Longhorns in 6.2 innings. He shut out the Bulls in his time on the mound, registering nine strikeouts and just three hits allowed in the process. Madden managed to nearly get his eighth win of the season, but the three-run top of the ninth for the Bulls took that away.

The clutch player in this game that won it for the Longhorns was redshirt sophomore outfielder Eric Kennedy. When Texas needed it the most, Kennedy got the walk-off double to center field. That scored Mike Antico to officially hand Texas the 4-3 win in the first meeting with USF in the Austin Super Regional.

Kennedy was the best player with the bat for the Longhorns in Game 1 this weekend. He also drove in a run in the seventh inning on a sacrifice fly that scored Trey Faltine. In total, Kennedy registered two runs batted in on two hits, with one run scored, in three at-bats.

Texas and USF both had six hits in this game, with the Bulls also registering two errors. Texas was able to take advantage of one of those two errors, with one of the four runs going to the USF pitching staff marked as unearned.

This win over USF puts Madden, Kennedy, and the Longhorns just one game away from making their first College World Series appearance since 2018. Texas and USF are set to take part in Game 2 of the Austin Super Regional at Disch-Falk Field on June 13, with first pitch set for 8 p.m. CT.