Red Raiders conclude regular season with loss to No. 1 Longhorns
LUBBOCK – No. 1 Texas completed the series sweep of Texas Tech with a 14-4 win in five innings on Sunday at Rocky Johnson Field.
The Red Raiders (28-20, 8-16 Big 12) will now turn their attention to the postseason where they will play in the 2024 Phillips 66 Big 12 Softball Championship next week in Oklahoma City. The bracket will be announced later this evening. The Longhorns (45-6, 23-4 Big 12) clinched the Big 12 regular-season championship with the win over Tech, claiming their first regular-season title since 2010. Texas finished the regular season on a 16-game winning streak, tied for the fifth-longest in program history.
Tech scored all four of its runs in the third inning after Texas took a seven-run lead with seven runs in the second inning. Alanna Barraza hit a leadoff home run that went 249-feet to left-center field for the first run before Demi Elder drove in three-runs with a bases clearing double that went off the left-field wall. Elder’s double brought in Riley Love, Kailey Wycoff and Arriana Villa. Barraza’s home run was her second of the season and the 56th for the team. Elder now has 11 doubles and 28 RBI for the season.
Maddy Wright (9-8) took the loss for the Red Raiders after allowing 14 runs on 13 hits. Teagan Kavan (15-2) earned the win, striking out five and scattering three hits in five innings. The Longhorns finished the game with three home runs, with Reese Atwood hitting two more on Sunday afternoon to push her season total to 21. Atwood finished the series against the Red Raiders with four home runs and 13 RBI. Viviana Martinez led UT with four RBI in the finale, including hitting a fourth-inning home run to right field in a three-run inning.
Texas would plate four runs in the fifth, highlighted by a two-run home run from Atwood to secure the run-rule win.
The Big 12 Championship returns to Oklahoma City’s USA Softball Hall of Fame Stadium at OGE Energy Field, the home of the Women’s College World Series, from May 8-11. All 10 Conference softball teams will compete in the single-elimination format with the top-six finishing regular season teams receiving a first-round bye.
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Release Provided By Wes Bloomquist Texas Tech Athletics
