Paced by two home runs from first baseman Ivan Melendez, the No. 1 Texas Longhorns blasted the Rice Owls on Sunday at UFCU Disch-Falk Field in a 14-2 victory to complete a three-game sweep to open the 2022 season.
Melendez was 2-for-4 with two home runs, two walks, four runs, and six RBI to lead the way for the Longhorns. After a line-drive home run to left field by shortstop Trey Faltine to give Texas a 3-1 lead in the fourth inning, Melendez came to the plate with two on and one out.
On a 1-2 hanging breaking ball, Melendez cleared the high wall in center field on a prodigious blast of more than 450 feet, becoming just the second Texas player to hit two home runs over the batter’s eye.