Texas handles business, sweeping Auburn

(Photo: @TexasBaseball)

By Caleb Connelley

This past weekend, the Texas Longhorns proved why they are the No. 1 team in the nation, sweeping the No. 8 Auburn Tigers in a three-game series in Austin. The Longhorns combined strong pitching, powerful offense, and solid defense to take all three games and extend their winning streak.

GAME ONE: Texas 3, Auburn 2

On Thursday night, the series opened up with a nail-biter, as Texas edged Auburn 3-2. Both teams got solid outings from their pitching staffs, but it was Texas that came up with key plays late. The Longhorns trailed Auburn through the first 5 1/3 innings, but Texas scored the final three runs to secure its 14th comeback victory of the year.

Ike Irish hit a two-run home run to give the Tigers the lead in the third inning, but Texas scored a run in each of the 3rd, 6th, and 7th innings to claim the opener. All five combined runs in the game were scored with two outs. Jared Spencer was the starting pitcher for the Longhorns and has been their ace lately. Spencer left the game after just 2 2/3 innings with arm soreness. It is questionable at this time if Spencer will pitch next weekend against Texas A&M.

GAME TWO: Texas 8, Auburn 3

In the second game, Texas' bats came alive, jumping out early and never looking back, cruising to an 8-3 victory. Freshman reliever Dylan Volantis sealed the deal with his ninth save of the season, highlighting Texas' pitching depth. The Tigers managed to get six hits, five of the six coming from Bristol Carter and Ike Irish. Jonah Williams drove in three runs for the Longhorns in his first career start. Batting in the eight-spot, Williams and the other four hitters in the bottom half of the order combined to finish 9 for 19 with six RBIs. This win marked Texas' eighth ranked win on the season.

GAME THREE: Texas 14, Auburn 2 (7 innings)

The finale was all Longhorns. Texas put on an offensive clinic, scoring 14 runs and overwhelming Auburn from start to finish. It was a statement victory that capped off a dominant series win and left no doubt about who was in control.

Texas jumped out with five runs in the bottom half of the 1st, two more in the bottom of the 2nd. Kimble Schuessler drove in 8 of the 14 runs for the Longhorns. Schuessler's career performance led the Longhorns to their sixth sweep of the season, including their second against Top 10 ranked teams in the last three weeks. The win marked Texas' sixth run-rule of the year.

With this series sweep, Texas remains atop the SEC standings and continues to look like a serious contender for a National Championship. Meanwhile, Auburn will try and regroup after a tough road weekend and will be back home this week as they will face Georgia Tech in the midweek, and Mississippi State next weekend.

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