Lebarron Johnson tosses eight shutout innings as part of Texas' win over Cal Poly
One week after lasting just 5.0 innings against the San Diego Toreros in the Texas Longhorns’ season opener, Lebarron Johnson wanted to pitch deeper into his Friday night start against the visiting Cal Poly Mustangs. He did exactly that, throwing 8.0 shutout innings and striking out eight on 100 pitches to earn his first victory of the season No. 16 Texas’ 2-0 win.
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“He was outstanding,” Texas head coach David Pierce said. “Fastball command was at a premium. He threw his slider enough to keep them honest. They’re a really good team that fights off the breaking ball late, but he really just managed his fastball more than anything.”
Johnson, the Longhorns’ Friday night ace, allowed a single to start the game to Mustangs leadoff hitter Jake Steels. Cal Poly wouldn’t notch another hit against Johnson until the sixth when Ryan Stafford singled to left. He would be retired to end the inning when Johnson picked him off during Stafford’s attempt to steal third.
Johnson faced the minimum in the second, seventh, and eighth innings striking out Steels to end his outing on pitch No. 100 before handing things over to Gage Boehm.
“I just wanted to go deeper into the game and give my team a chance,” Johnson said.
Boehm earned his first career save, working around a one-out single by striking out one Mustang and coaxing a groundout from another.
“His demeanor is good,” Pierce said of Boehm. “He looks the part. So far, he hasn’t even faltered from that at all.”
Despite Cal Poly’s lack of hits against Johnson, the Mustangs were able to put runners on base via those two hits, two walks, and one hit batter. The Longhorn infield with Peyton Powell at third, Jalin Flores at shortstop, Dee Kennedy at second base, and Jack O’Dowd at first, made a number of quality plays.
Flores had key putouts in the second, fifth, and the game-ending throw to first in the ninth. Kennedy showed his range on several plays, including ones that ended the third and seventh.
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Powell, who Pierce said Thursday might miss some time due to a foot injury, was penciled in the starting lineup and told reporters after the game he felt like he was “completely healed” from a bone contusion.
“Dee’s the new kid on the block,” Pierce said. “But you look at Jalin, not a ton of experience, but his movement and his ability to throw on the run — he was actually covering on the hit-and-run and re-directed. Peyton just continues to work easy and his hands and feet work so well together and he’s so comfortable.”
The Longhorns added their first run in the fifth inning thanks to hustle from Kennedy and Jared Thomas. Kennedy drew a four-pitch walk, advanced to second on a balk, then moved to third on a wild pitch. Thomas squibbed a grounder past Mustang pitcher Jakob Wright, and Kennedy dashed home for the opening score.
In the eighth, Texas provided insurance runs for Boehm when Thomas and Powell knocked back-to-back doubles off reliever Jacob Garza to double the Longhorns’ offensive output.
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Texas returns to action against Cal Poly on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. Right-hander Charlie Hurley is scheduled to take the mound for the Longhorns.
