AUSTIN (KXAN) — No. 8 Texas just let the rest of the Southeastern Conference know that they are for real, winning a series over No. 2 Louisiana State behind a 6-2 victory Sunday at UFCU Disch-Falk Field.
The series-clinching win comes after Saturday’s 11-7 victory. LSU opened the series with an 8-2 win Friday.
In the decider, Ruger Riojas and Dylan Volantis teamed up on the mound to limit the potent Tigers, striking out 11 combined and issuing two walks. Riojas worked 5.2 innings to earn his fifth win, throwing 87 pitches and allowing two runs on seven hits. He threw 62 pitches for strikes. Volantis picked up his fifth save without allowing a run or hit in 40 pitches over 3.1 innings.
Riojas has typically been a bullpen arm in his career, but Longhorns head coach Jim Schlossnagle wanted to see what he looked like as a starter.
“We’ve been talking about it, and we wanted to see it,” he said. “With him, you’re going to get multiple pitches for strikes versus someone you put someone out there and hope they catch fire. Strikes win, especially on Sunday.”
The Longhorns had a 5-0 lead through five innings and Max Belyeu was responsible for three of them, scoring one on a second-inning groundout and then a towering 2-run home run in the fourth. He capped a tremendous day at the plate with an RBI triple in the sixth. Belyeu finished 2-for-4 with four RBIs.
Texas smacked 11 hits led by Tommy Farmer IV with three from the No. 9 spot in the batting order. Farmer hit an RBI single in the second inning to score Will Gasparino. Rylan Galvan knocked in a run with a single in the first inning.
Adrian Rodriguez also had a multihit game, going 2-for-4 with a double.
More than 7,000 fans packed UFCU Disch-Falk Field on Sunday and nearly 21,000 total went through the turnstiles for the first SEC series on the Forty Acres. Schlossnagle said he could feel the buzz throughout the weekend.
“It’s really awesome when the crowd doesn’t need something to happen on the field to get it going,” he said. “They can work together and go back and forth. I’m glad Texas fans showed up and were part of that.”
In Saturday’s win, the Longhorns pounded 13 hits with Rodriguez and Jalin Flores with three each, Flores scored four runs which included a solo home run in the seventh inning. Galvan and Kimble Scheussler drove in three runs each to pace the offense.
Max Grubbs picked up the win out of the bullpen and Volantis needed 12 pitches to get the save. Grubbs worked 3.2 innings in relief of starter Luke Harrison, allowing two runs on five hits.
Belyeu went 3-for-4 on Friday.
Texas (19-3, 5-1 SEC) hosts Sam Houston at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday before going to Columbia, Missouri, to take on the Missouri Tigers for a 3-game series starting Friday.
