Bazzell leads Tech in dominant win over Kansas
LUBBOCK, Texas – In a seven-inning run-rule, Texas Tech defeated Kansas 15-1 on Saturday afternoon at Rip Griffin Park leaving the six-member senior class that was celebrated pregame with a smile on Senior Day. The win also clinched the series for the Red Raiders, its eighth consecutive series win over the Jayhawks dating back to 2015.
“The guys showed a lot of resilience to do that,” said head coach Tim Tadlock. The Red Raiders won back-to-back games after dropping the series opener Thursday night. With the win, Texas Tech finished perfect at home in its weekend home series this season going 9-for-9 and 4-for-4 in Big 12 series.
The Red Raiders started Saturday with an explosive first inning, led by Kevin Bazzell and Hudson White, and the momentum was carried throughout the remainder of the game as Tech scored 15 runs or better for the sixth time this season. Bazzell started the surge with a two-run home run scoring Nolen Hester who reached base on a leadoff walk. Hudson White kept it going later with a grand slam to blow the game open to give the Red Raiders six runs in the first, with two swings. The six-run first was their best start to a game this season besting a five-run first against Baylor on April 22.
The Red Raiders manufactured one run in the second capitalizing on four walks. Kansas briefly halted the Red Raiders scoring in the third but the bats would not stay quiet long. Tech piled it on scoring three in the fourth, three in the fifth and two more in the sixth.
In the fourth, Zac Vooletich started the scoring by hitting an RBI double to bring Gavin Kash home after his leadoff walk to start the inning. White followed the Vooletich double with his second home run that gave him his fifth and sixth RBIs of the game and the first multi-home run game of his career. The six RBIs matched his career-high set just a few days ago against Abilene Christian on May 9.
In the fifth, Bazzell led off the inning with a solo home run, his second of the day giving him his first career multi-HR game. Kash got his first hit on Saturday with an RBI double to score Austin Green off his base hit that followed Bazzell’s homer. Kash would later score the third run of the inning off a double play that White hit into. In what would be their last chance to hit in the sixth, the Red Raiders added two more runs thanks to Bazzell who hit yet another home run. It was his second two-run home run of the day to push his RBI total to a career-high five.
With his three home runs, Bazzell is the first Red Raider to have three home runs in a single game since Parker Kelly in 2022 (March 5 vs. Merrimack) and the first to do so in a Big 12 game since Jace Jung versus TCU in 2021 (April 11).
“I’m really proud of Kevin,” said Tadlock. “He came out and got some good pitches to hit. Not every day you see a guy hit three home runs.”
Starting pitcher Zane Petty had an impressive start for the Red Raiders in the matchup. Petty threw five shutout innings matching his career-long outing and struck out six, a career-high, and did not issue a walk.
“[Petty] commanded the fastball, he always had a good breaking ball, attacked hitters, pitched on both sides of the plate,” said Tadlock. “I thought he was really good.”
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Release provided by MATT BURKHOLDER Texas Tech Athletics