Texas starting pitcher Ruger Riojas was impressive in his first Saturday start of the season, lasting five innings, allowing just three hits and one earned run while picking up 11 strikeouts, just one shy of his career high of 12 he set against USC Upstate earlier in the season.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThought Ruger [Riojas] battled. I thought Alabama did a great job of fighting,\u201d head coach Jim Schlossnagle said. \u201cThen, [Jayden Duplainter] came through with the with the big knock to tie the game.\u201d<\/p>\n
Longhorns Break Pitching Duel Late![\"Ruger](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1776597547_287_01khza964yspzxcg1yg7.jpg\" "\\"Ruger")
<\/p>\n
Texas Athletics<\/p>\n
With Dylan Volantis now occupying Riojas\u2019 spot<\/a> as the Friday starter ahead of this weekend and Schlossnalge announcing he\u2019ll keep his sophomore pitcher in the spot going forward, the Longhorns rotation isn\u2019t hurting now that their ace is in the Saturday spot.\u00a0<\/p>\n Against the Crimson Tide, the Longhorns’ pitching rotation has tossed for 36 strikeouts, the most across a series first two games this season. The 19 strikeouts thrown Saturday tied a program high for strikeouts in a single game.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWe have good pitchers. We’ve proven that. \u2026 Alabama was a top 10 team. What 10 days ago? That’s how much this league can just change. They’re still, they’re still a really good team,\u201d Schlossngale said. \u201cI thought we just did a good job execute pitches the last two days.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Riojas struggled to open up the afternoon, walking his first batter and allowing back-to-back hits with a double from Alabama\u2019s best hitter, right fielder Brady Neal, to drive in the first and only run of the game for the Crimson Tide.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThe end goal is to finish the game regardless of pitch count,\u201d Riojas said. \u201cThat’s my job \u2014 What I want to do is keep the ball for as long as I can.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n After the lapse, Riojas was able to settle in, tossing for 11 strikeouts and allowing just one more hit for the rest of the afternoon to Neal in the third inning. The highlight of the afternoon was Riojas tossing a rare four-strikeout inning, the first for the Longhorns since the second game of the 2024 Big-12 Tournament against Cincinnati.\u00a0<\/p>\n Alabama starting pitcher Zane Adams was locked in a classic pitching duel with Riojas, tearing up a Texas batting order for six innings and holding them to just five hits and zero runs while on the mound. Adams was able to get out of a jam with two runners in scoring position, tossing second basemen Ethan Mendoza out with his fifth strikeout of the afternoon.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cZane Adams was outstanding,\u201d Schlossnagel said. \u201c[He] had his change-up going, was executing on all his pitches on a tough day to hit.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Alabama\u2019s narrow one-run lead soon dissipated when Matthew Heiberger relieved Adams at the top of the seventh. Texas found its spark after Heiberger walked his first two batters and then allowed right fielder Jayden Duplainter to knock through an RBI single towards right field to tie the game up.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cBefore the inning, we were just confident that we were going to win the game from the start,\u201d Duplainter said. \u201cJust being confident in that in that spot, and wanting to be in that situation, and then just trusting the work and it play out in the game.\u201d<\/p>\n Robbins loaded the bases with a single of his own, and despite a pitching change ahead of catcher Carson Tinney at-bat, Tinney fired an RBI single for the game-winning run, sending Casey Borba home.\u00a0<\/p>\n Shortstop Adrian Rodriguez launched a sac-fly for an insurance run in the seventh, closing out the Longhorns’ late-game comeback.\u00a0<\/p>\n Relief pitcher Sam Cozart made his second appearance of the series, closing out the game in the ninth inning, tossing three consecutive strikeouts to secure the Longhorns fifth conference series of the season.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWe also get to find out that he can do it [pitch in back-to-back days],\u201d Schlossnagle said. \u201cIt’s not so much the number of pitches last night, it’s just being up and down twice. And down twice, and then finishing the game. So that’s a really good sign for us for the future, whether it be next weekend, or beyond.\u201d<\/p>\n Texas<\/a> will look for its second SEC series sweep of the season against Alabama tomorrow at 1 p.m. CT at UFCU Disch-Falk Field. <\/p>\n Sign up to our free newsletter<\/a> and follow us on Facebook<\/a>, X<\/a> and Instagram<\/a> for the latest news.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/assets.minutemediacdn.com\/platform\/google_discover_icon.svg\"){kind=icon}
Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow<\/a>