Vanderbilt outlasts Texas in extra innings

[Bob Of Burleson]

By Mike Finger
Houston Chronicle

OMAHA, Neb. – For eight days, C.J Hinojosa had done everything in his power to keep Texas alive at the College World Series. He'd made diving grabs, acrobatic throws, ripped clutch hits and even defied the wind by hitting a ball out of TD Ameritrade Park.

But as a batted baseball bounced achingly slowly toward him late Saturday night, he couldn't make it come any faster. And by the time it finally got there, the Longhorns' season was finished.

Tyler Campbell beat out Hinojosa's throw on a bases-loaded chopper to shortstop in the bottom of the 10th inning, lifting Vanderbilt to a 4-3 victory that eliminated UT from the CWS.

"We have 27 kids with broken hearts," UT coach Augie Garrido said.

The Longhorns (46-21) were stopped one game short of the best-of-three championship series, which will feature the Commodores (49-20) against Virginia.

Saturday's deciding rally began innocently enough. UT closer John Curtiss opened the bottom of the 10th by getting two quick outs, but Rhett Wiseman – who already had smashed a key RBI double and made a spectacular running catch in right field – then lined a single to center.

Curtiss then walked pinch-hitter Ro Coleman, and on his first pitch to Karl Ellison – who was 0-for-10 in the series – he drilled him between the shoulder blades. That loaded the bases for Campbell.

Curtiss jammed the right-handed hitter with a good pitch inside, and Campbell fisted it out toward Hinojosa, who charged the ball and made a last-gasp throw to first base. Campbell beat it by half a step, sparking a Commodores celebration and leaving the Longhorns dejected.

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[SpaceCowboy]

What the hell happened to texas college ball?? This is embarrassing to have virginia and Vanderbilt in the cows championship game

[BigTex]

The Horns made it through the regionals to get to the CWS and then fought through the loser's bracket to get "that close" to the championship round. That's nothing to be ashamed of. If their pitching had been better Saturday night we would probably be talking about the next game Monday night.

[bodine]

The Horns made it through the regionals to get to the CWS and then fought through the loser's bracket to get "that close" to the championship round. That's nothing to be ashamed of. If their pitching had been better Saturday night we would probably be talking about the next game Monday night.

Defense was pretty bad In the first two innings as well...

Not the closer's finest inning; walks and HBP are killers...