AUSTIN, Texas — In a thrilling game at the Austin Regional, Casey Borba was the standout player as he led the Texas team to a 15-8 victory over Kansas State on Sunday. Borba’s extraordinary performance included a grand slam in the opening inning, followed by a three-run homer in the third, tallying an impressive eight RBIs for the game. This crucial win allowed Texas to advance in the elimination rounds. They are now set to face off against UTSA in the championship match set for Sunday night. To claim victory in the double-elimination regional, Texas must overcome the Roadrunners twice. UTSA had previously pushed Texas into the loser’s bracket with a close 9-7 win on Saturday and had also triumphed over the Longhorns 8-7 in a grueling 12-inning game on March 18 during their solo regular-season encounter.
Pitcher Ruger Riojas showed endurance on the mound, despite allowing seven runs and three home runs. He also hit three batters while accumulating a career-high 119 pitches over 7 1/3 innings. The game started energetically, with Ethan Mendoza hitting a double and scoring soon after when Max Belyeu hit a home run off the first pitch he received from Tanner Duke. Following this, hitters Kimble Schuessler and Adrian Rodriguez produced consecutive singles, with Jalin Flores getting hit by a pitch.
After this series of plays, pitcher James Guyette replaced Duke. However, Jonah Williams struck out before Borba delivered a powerful hit with a grand slam that expanded the lead to 6-0. Despite Kansas State’s efforts to fight back with Seth Dardar hitting a three-run home run in the first inning and AJ Evasco contributing both a solo home run in the seventh and a two-run homer in the eighth, Texas managed to maintain their lead. A groundout by Keegan O’Connor in the ninth inning concluded the scoring, ensuring the Longhorns’ victory and progression in the tournament.