Texas baseball shuts out Alabama 2-0, takes series

Head coach David Pierce and No. 1 ranked Texas baseball have now won their first three series of the regular season slate after downing the Alabama Crimson Tide in the first two games of the weekend. Texas first downed Alabama to open up this three-game weekend series in a narrow 1-0 win on Feb. 25 behind a shutout effort on the mound from starting pitcher Pete Hansen.

Pierce and the Longhorns got another shutout on the mound from their starting pitcher in a 2-0 win over the Crimson Tide on the afternoon of Feb. 26. Texas saw redshirt senior right-handed starting pitcher Tristan Stevens come up with another brilliant performance in his second start of the season so far.

Stevens gave the Longhorns six shutout innings on the mound with just four hits allowed, two walks, and four strikeouts. He’s now up to a shutout streak spanning a dozen innings dating back to his shutout effort in Texas’ win over the Rice Owls back on Feb. 19.

Then, it was Luke Harrison that closed out this game for the Longhorns with three more shutout innings on the mound. Harrison got his first save of the season after striking out four Crimson Tide batters and allowing just one hit in the process.

Tristan Stevens and Douglas Hodo III guides Texas baseball past Alabama 2-0

Texas’ pitching staff continued their dominance this weekend. Through seven games this season, the most runs that the Longhorns gave up in a single game was four in a close one-run win over the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Islanders earlier this week.

This Texas pitching staff has also shut out the Crimson Tide bats in two straight games. That is impressive considering the fact that Alabama scored 24 runs combined in their previous three games coming into this weekend series against Texas.

As far as what Texas did offensively, this was yet another game where Alabama actually racked up more hits than the Longhorns. Texas only managed four hits in this game to Alabama’s five.

But Texas stringing together some timely hits in the third and fourth innings got them their two runs of the game. Douglas Hodo III knocked in the first run for the Longhorns in the bottom of the third inning on a double to right-center field.

That was the lone hit of this game for Hodo, though.

Then, Texas doubled their lead over Alabama in the bottom of the fourth inning after Austin Todd singled to knock home Ivan Melendez.

After Texas scored their second, Alabama was not able to respond. While Alabama’s bullpen came in and shut out the Longhorns for the rest of the game after Antoine Jean gave up two earned runs in five innings on the mound, it was all for naught.

Texas’ pitching staff continued to completely shut down the opposition. There were also some really nice defensive plays from the Longhorns, who avoided making any errors in this game. Hodo had one major highlight with his glove in the outfield in the seventh inning that helped to keep the Crimson Tide off the scoreboard.

While this wasn’t the most explosive win ever for the Longhorns over a quality foe in the Crimson Tide, it was still key that this team could stay undefeated. Texas remains unscathed through seven games this season, which continues to help build momentum before one of the truly difficult stretches of the non-conference schedule arrives.

Following this Feb. 26 win over the Crimson Tide at home at UFCU Disch-Falk Field, the Longhorns are now boasting a record of 7-0 (0-0 Big 12). Texas has the opportunity to sweep the Crimson Tide when they face Alabama at the Disch to round out this weekend series on Feb. 27.