AUSTIN, Texas — Dylan Volantis recorded a career-best 12 strikeouts to propel No. 2 Texas to a 10-2 win over No. 11 Alabama at UFCU Disch-Falk Field on Friday night.
Volantis (5-0) pitched six innings of two-run baseball, limiting the Crimson Tide (27-12, 8-8 SEC) to just four hits along the way.
The 6-foot-6, 220-pound left-hander became the first Longhorn to notch a dozen punchouts in a Southeastern Conference game. Volantis retired 15 of the first 18 batters he faced, tossing 62 of his 91 pitches for strikes.
Volantis set the tone for Texas (29-7, 10-5 SEC), striking out a pair in the opening frame.
The Longhorns quickly backed the sophomore, mounting three runs in the bottom of the first.
After Aiden Robbins led off with a double, Carson Tinney deposited a two-strike breaking ball over the right-field fence for his 14th home run of the season. Tinney’s two-run blast marked his seventh homer in as many contests.
Three batters later, Ethan Mendoza drove in Adrian Rodriguez with a base hit, extending Texas’ advantage to 3-0.
In the third, Mendoza plated another run before Temo Becerra delivered a sacrifice fly in the fifth to pad the cushion.
Alabama pushed across a pair in the sixth, capitalizing on a couple of infield singles and defensive miscues, but Volantis held the Crimson Tide there.
The Longhorns promptly responded, posting three tallies on four hits in the bottom half.
Robbins roped a run-scoring double to left center, knocking out Alabama starter Tyler Fay, who was responsible for seven runs on 12 hits.
Tinney followed with his second extra-base hit of the evening to balloon the lead to 7-2.
Meanwhile, Anthony Pack Jr. capped of the frame with an RBI single of his own. Pack Jr. finished with his first career four-hit effort, punctuating his standout performance with a run-scoring double in the eighth.
The freshman was one of five Longhorns to record a multi-hit game, alongside Robbins, Tinney, Rodriguez and Dariyan Pendergrass.
Overall, Texas outhit the Crimson Tide, 16-4.
In the win, Sam Cozart (5) logged the final nine outs. The 6-foot-6, 260-pound righty struck out five of the final 10 batters. Cozart faced one over the minimum across three hitless innings.
The Longhorns will look to clinch a series victory on Saturday. First pitch is scheduled for noon at UFCU Disch-Falk Field.