Texas baseball bounced early from Big 12 Tournament

No. 24 Texas baseball was eliminated from the Big 12 Tournament after its second loss in as many games at Globe Life Field in Arlington, TX, this week. The Cincinnati Bearcats hung on to defeat Texas by a score of 8-7 in an elimination game in the Big 12 Tournament on May 22.

Jalin Flores and Texas baseball fall just short of Cincinnati in Big 12 Tournament

Despite outhitting Cincinnati, Texas couldn't complete the late-inning rally in the first matchup against the Bearcats this season. Ten runners left on base and two errors ultimately cost the Longhorns in this one-run loss to the Bearcats.

Cincinnati jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in this game behind runs scored in the top of the first and fourth innings. But the Longhorns responded with a big bottom of the fourth, including a two-run shot to tie the game from Big 12 Player of the Year Max Belyeu.

Belyeu registered his third straight multi-RBI game while extending his hitting streak to six games, with two hits and two runs batted in against Cincinnati on May 22. Jalin Flores joined Belyeu as the only two Longhorn batters to register multi-RBI games.

After Cincinnati jumped out to an 8-3 lead with a four-run outburst in the top of the eighth inning, Texas responded with a four-run spark of their own in the bottom half. A two-run double from Flores in the bottom of the eighth inning was responsible for three of the four runs scored for the Longhorns to get the game back within one run.

That rally unfortunately fell just short as a controversial decision to sacrifice bunt pinch-runner Jayden Duplantier to second with no outs in the bottom of the ninth didn't work out in the end. The Longhorns couldn't get Duplantier to the plate, with the next two batters grounding out and flying out to end the game.

After close losses to the Texas Tech Red Raiders (6-4 on May 21) and Cincinnati in the last couple of days, the Longhorns fell short of their ultimate goal to win the Big 12 Tournament. Getting eliminated from the Big 12 Tournament all but ends the Longhorns already slim hopes of earning a spot as a regional host this postseason.

Texas and head coach David Pierce now await their postseason fate. Pierce and the Longhorns cap the regular season and conference tournament for the final time in the Big 12 with a record of 35-22 (20-10 Big 12).

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