AUSTIN, Texas — C.J. Hinojosa hit a walk-off double in the ninth inning to give Texas a 3-2 baseball victory over UCSB on Saturday
The defeat dropped UCSB’s record to 8-6, while Texas improved to 9-5.
The Longhorns’ ninth-inning efforts spoiled a stellar start from UCSB freshman lefty Justin Jacome. He gave up two runs and four hits over 6.2 innings pitched with five strikeouts and a pair of walks.
The Gauchos offense struggled against Texas starter Dillon Peters, mustering just two hits and one earned run off the lefty over 5.2 innings pitched. The Gauchos were actually the first to get on the board after Jackson Morrow led off the second inning with a double and later scored on a Robby Nesovic sacrifice fly.
The Longhorns answered back in the bottom of the third with back-to-back, two-out extra base hits to knot the score at 1-1.
UCSB would score its final run of the game in the sixth inning. Junior outfielder Joey Epperson kept the Gauchos alive with a two-out walk, stole second and scored on Nesovic’s double to left.
Nesovic ended the day going 2-3 with both of the Gaucho RBIs.
Jacome pitched into the seventh, but was pulled after surrendering a two-out, bases empty walk to Weston Hall.
Texas reliever Brooks Marlow was just as effective as Peters, giving up just one hits over his 3.1 innings pitched. Marlow would pick up the victory.
The Longhorns would threaten to go ahead in the eighth, singling twice to put runners on the corners with one out. However, UCSB freshman righty Dylan Hecht came in and put out the rally, striking out Codey McElroy before getting Marlow to bounce into a fielder’s choice to end the inning.
Hecht came out to start the ninth and hit a batter and walked another to put runners into scoring position. Hinojosa’s solidly hit double then sent the Longhorns to victory.
