HOUSTON - With both runners safely on base and nobody looking to run, Kyle Russell still threw the ball from right field over third base.
It was that kind of weekend for Texas.
Russell's mental lapse in the seventh inning of Texas' 10-4 loss to Rice on Saturday didn't cost the Longhorns any runs, but the rest of the Longhorns' errors did.
Texas gave away a late 5-4 comeback to Tennessee with four errors and poor base running in Friday night's game. Saturday night, the Longhorns let Rice jump ahead early, committing five fielding errors.
"We looked like stumble, fumble and fall," said Texas coach Augie Garrido. "We had a hard time handling the ball. We had a hard time getting the ball down in the strike zone. We had a hard time with a lot of things."
The mistakes started piling up in the fifth inning against Rice.
Already trailing 6-3, Texas catcher Cameron Rupp was called for interference when his glove hit Adam Zornes' bat, putting Zornes on first. Moments later, Texas pitcher Chance Ruffin threw a pickoff attempt past first base into the backstop, advancing Zornes to second and allowing another run to score in what turned out to be a three-run fifth inning.
"Where was Puff the Magic Dragon when he tried to pick the guy off on first base and there was nobody there?" Garrido said. "Who's calling the signals here, some magician? Our first baseman disappeared out of sight."
In the sixth, Brandon Belt dropped an easy out at first base, which led to another unearned run.
The night before, Tennessee's big comeback came in the seventh inning after Danny Lima reached base because of a throwing error by Texas shortstop David Hernandez. The Volunteers scored three runs in that inning to grab the lead. Hernandez made two errors against Tennessee and was pulled for Pat McCrory in the fourth inning against Rice after a bad throw to second base.
"There's a sense of embarrassment, there really is," Russell said. "Everybody makes mental mistakes, and it can be frustrating at times, but we've got 60 more games in front of us."
It wasn't the kind of game expected out of perennial powers Texas and Rice, who usually meet at the College World Series.
Still, Rice coach Wayne Graham thinks Texas has enough time to turn things around.
"Texas is not going to play like that," Graham said. "They've got talent, and they'll get everything straightened out because they've got talent and great coaches. I still predict there's a very good chance they'll be in Omaha.
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