Late Surge Pushes No. 17 Tech Past New Mexico, 11-8

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Dylan Maxcey provided a go-ahead bases clearing double while three relievers combined to throw four scoreless innings in No. 17 Texas Tech’s 11-8 victory Tuesday afternoon over New Mexico at Santa Ana Star Field.

With the win, Texas Tech (10-2) won in Albuquerque for the first time since 2019 and snapped a three-game road losing streak to the Lobos (7-6).

Looking to win its seventh straight overall, Tech got off to a good start on Tuesday using a 478-foot lead-off home run from Gavin Kash and a pair of two-RBI singles from freshmen TJ Pompey and Travis Sanders to hang a five-spot in the opening inning. Pompey has now recorded at least one hit in all 12 games of his college career.

After a 1-2-3 inning from starter Taber Fast, the Red Raiders quickly increased their lead to 6-0 when Austin Green led off the second with a triple down the first base and later came around to score on a single from Cade McGee.

Tech’s 6-0 lead quickly became seven-to-nothing when the nation’s leader in doubles, Damian Bravo ripped his 11th two-bagger of the season that plated McGee. Bravo went 2-for-4 in the victory recording a pair of doubles and an RBI.

Armed with a 7-0 lead, Fast allowed back-to-back hits to start the second before recording a pair of outs on a lineout and a strikeout.

Just one out from recording the final out of the frame and firing another zero, Fast allowed three straight singles that allowed the Lobos to pull to within 7-4.

Up 7-4 going to the bottom of the third, Fast retired the leadoff batter before losing a batter to a full-count walk.

The walk proved to be a catalyst, as UNM ultimately struck for three more runs to tie the game at seven-all. Fast allowed five runs and six hits in 2.1 innings pitched.

In the home half of the fourth, Tech turned to sophomore righty Zane Petty who promptly ended a strong 1-2-3 fourth with a punchout.

With the game back under control, the Red Raiders looked to have something brewing in the top of the fifth when Bravo led off with another double and catcher Davis Rivers reached on a hit-by-pitch. UNM stemmed the tide for a bit with a double play, bringing Gage Harrelson to the plate with a runner on third base and two away.

A ball in the dirt originally was ruled a wild pitch allowing the Red Raiders to take an 8-7 lead, but the four umpires conferred and ruled that the ball instead hit Harrelson who took his base at first. With runners on the corners and two outs, Pompey grounded out to short to keep the game tied at seven.

In the final half of the fifth, UNM took its first lead on a bases loaded fielders choice. The Lobos loaded the bases on a one-out double and a pair of walks.

With two outs and runners on the corners with two away, Petty again rolled a grounder to escape the threat.

The sophomore pitched two innings on Tuesday allowing just one hit and one runs. He struck out a pair to earn his first victory of the season.

In the sixth, Kash once again lead off with an extra base hit, as the first baseman ripped a double into the right-centerfield gap, before advancing to third on a deep flyout. McGee then was hit by the pitch, setting up runners on the corners with one out.

The Red Raiders turned to the bench for Drew Woodcox who struck out against UNM lefty Arthur Steinkamp.

The next Red Raider batter, Bravo, was nailed by a 1-2 offering from Steinkamp to load the bases.

Tech once again turned to the bench for a righty, as this time, Maxcey came off the bench and ripped the bases-clearing double that gave Tech a 10-8 lead. The Red Raiders recorded the fourth and final run of the inning when Travis Sanders hit a ball that resulted in an error that chased Maxcey from second.

With the lead for the first time since the third, the Red Raiders summoned Jacob Rogers, who used a pair of 96 MPH fastballs to record a perfect bottom of the sixth.

In the home half of the seventh, Rogers once again looked strong, stranding a pair in scoring position on a grounder.

Up by three heading to the bottom of the eighth, the Red Raiders made another pitching change, as lefty Ryan Free entered from the ‘pen and fired a scoreless 12-pitch inning.

After the Red Raiders went down in order in the ninth, junior Trendan Parish came into the 11-8 game looking to nail down his eighth-career save. Parish sandwiched the first two outs of the inning around a one-out single to bring Lobos centerfielder Sean Stephens to the plate.

Stephens who was already 2-for-4 with a pair of RBIs, hit a slow roller to short that just skipped off of Pompey’s glove for an error. The miscue extended the game and brought the tying run to the plate.

The Lobos turned to catcher Jake Holland off the bench who ripped a 109 MPH liner to right that Bravo was able to glove for the final out.

In the win, Tech’s final four relievers (Petty, Rogers, Free and Parish) combined to throw six one-run innings with six punchouts. The quartet combined to allow just three hits.

At the plate, three Red Raiders ended the day with multiple hits, as Kash combined to go 3-for-6 out of the leadoff spot, while Bravo and McGee both went 2-for-4 with an RBI. McGee also scored three times.

UP NEXT:
The Red Raiders return this weekend to the friendly confines of Rip Griffin Park at Dan Law Field for a weekend series with No. 24 Texas. The opening series of Big 12 play begins on Friday night with a 6:30 first pitch.

–TECH–

Release Provided By Andrew Stern Texas Tech Athletics