When Sam LeCure threw a 148-pitch complete game last Sunday against Kansas State, J.P. Howell said there was no way he could have done it.
Howell got a complete game Sunday as well, but this one only took him seven innings.
He reached a career-high with 12 strikeouts, as Texas beat Baylor 11-1 in a game that was called in the bottom of the seventh inning, giving Howell his third complete game of the season.
"It's a cheap one, but I'll take it," Howell said. "I thought there would be an asterisk by it or something, but there isn't. So I won't tell anyone I pitched seven- I'll say I pitched nine."
While Baylor players were missing the ball when they tried to field it, they weren't doing any better from the plate and had the same number of hits as errors, with four. The Bears had trouble figuring out Howell's breaking-ball that struck out the final five batters he faced. Baylor head coach Steve Smith said he didn't remember a better left-handed breaking ball in the Big 12 and Baylor's only run was in the fourth inning, when All-American Michael Griffin hit a solo home run to left-center field.
"They're a good hitting team, especially with two strikes, so I was trying to beat them inside," Howell said. "I wasn't feeling that great, but that's the best way to go into a game. If you feel great, you get fastball happy and see if you can blow it by everybody, but today I was pitching, and that's the best way to feel."
Howell takes little time in between pitches, almost releasing the ball simultaneously as the batter signals he's ready. In the first inning, Baylor tried to mess up Howell's rhythm by calling time repeatedly. The All-American said he just rolled through it and was thankful the umpire didn't call time. Baylor shortstop Kyle Reylonds actually tried to call time, but with his bat down, made contact with a pitch and was thrown out at first.
"I don't know how he put the ball in play, but I was like 'Hmm, I better get that,'" Howell said.
After also pitching three innings against Rice Tuesday, Howell has pitched 10 innings with 18 strikeouts for the week. He also recorded his 200th career strikeout with Texas Sunday, making life easy for the Texas hitters.
"The pitcher dominates the game, and on the offensive side it relaxes the hitters a little," Texas head coach Augie Garrido said.
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