Ryan Free and Austin Green Shine as Tech Rolls No. 22 WVU, 15-2

LUBBOCK, Texas – Ryan Free tossed six strong innings and Austin Green went 3-for-4 with a home run and five RBIs to lead Texas Tech to a 15-2 victory over No. 22 West Virginia Friday night at Dan Law Field at Rip Griffin Park.

Needing a victory to snap a season-high four-game losing streak, Texas Tech (27-13, 10-9 Big 12) got off to a strong start, scoring the first seven runs of the contest due in large part to the strong night from Green.

Other strong performances included Gavin Kash scoring three times and third baseman Cade McGee going 2-for-4 with three RBIs.

After a 1-2-3 first inning from Free, Tech went to work against WVUs (23-14, 11-5 Big 12) Aidan Major when Kash walked and advance to second on a single from Kevin Bazzell.

With Green at the plate, Tech tried a double steal, putting both Kash and Bazzell in motion. The double steal worked to perfection, as not only did the duo steal second and third respectively, but they also scored on a throwing error by WVUs catcher, Logan Sauve.

Armed with a 2-0 lead, Free fired back-to-back scoreless frames to bring the Red Raider bats to the plate in a 2-0 game in the third.

With the top of the lineup due up, Tech immediately put pressure on Major and the Mountaineers, as Kash led off with a double and TJ Pompey walked.

After a Bazzell lineout to third, Green ripped the first offering he saw from Major for his second double of the night. The knock plated Kash from second and put Pompey on third. Major lasted just three innings pitched allowing six runs and six hits. He walked a pair and struck out five.

Tech’s next batter, Drew Woodcox, singled to left to plate Pompey and give Tech a 4-0 lead.

The Red Raiders added two more runs in the inning on an RBI grounder from Davis Rivers and a two-out single from McGee.

WVU and Tech traded zeros until the bottom of the fifth when back-to-back hit baters set the table for another Red Raider run on a Woodcox sac-fly.

The Mountaineers answered the Red Raider run with a two-run home run from Kyle West to pull to within 7-2, but three walks loaded the bases for Green who with two-outs lifted a 375-foot grand slam to right. The blast was Tech’s 69th home run on the season and the fourth grand slam this season.

Josh Sanders and Hudson Luce combined to strike out three batters in a pair of scoreless innings sending the game to the bottom of the eighth at 11-2.

A walk by Pompey, a single from Bazzell and fielders choice placed runners on the corners for freshman Garet Boehm who ripped a single to right to plate Pompey.

The single for Boehm was one of three straight run scoring singles, as Rivers plated Green and McGee scored both Rivers and Boehm.

The four-run frame gave Tech a 15-2 lead heading to the ninth.

Returning for the ninth, Luce struck out two of the three batters he set down in a 1-2-3 ninth.

With the victory, the Red Raiders have now won nine straight contests at home.

UP NEXT:
The Red Raiders will look to run the home winning streak to 10 games on Saturday night when they face WVU for game two of the three-game weekend set. First pitch has been moved back to 6 p.m. on Saturday night due to the prediction of inclement weather.

–TECH–

Release Provided By Andrew Stern Texas Tech Athletics