Tech Baseball Rebounds for 9-4 win over ACU
LUBBOCK, Texas — Cade McGee went 2-for-4 with a three-run homer while a trio of relievers combined for six scoreless innings in a 9-4 victory Texas Tech victory over Abilene Christian Tuesday night at Dan Law Field at Rip Griffin Park.
Down 2-0, McGee provided the big swing for Texas Tech (15-6) in the first, when he lifted a three-run bomb to left that gave Tech a 3-2 lead. The ball traveled 402 feet.
The Red Raiders weren’t done offensively, as they managed to score a pair of runs in the third and fifth as well as singular runs in the sixth or seventh to flip the 2-0 deficit into a 9-2 lead.
Abilene Christian (13-9) threatened in both the eighth and ninth, as the Wildcats scored a run
in both innings, but Hudson Parkers and Brendan Lysik were able to limit the damage to close out Tech’s 15th win of the season.
Freshman TJ Pompey had a strong night at the plate as the infielder went 2-for-4 with an RBI, while outfielder Drew Woodcox added a two-run home run that traveled an estimated 415 feet and was clocked at 106 MPH off the bat. Woodcox has now homered in back-to-back games and three of the last four contests he’s played in.
Armed with a 3-2 lead, Tech turned to freshman Parker Hutyra who fired a pair of scoreless innings to earn his second win of the season. Hutyra lowered his ERA to an even 1.00 over his first nine innings pitched.
After the Red Raiders extended their lead on the two-run bomb from Woodcox in the third, senior Hudson Luce entered for the fourth. Luce ended up throwing both the fourth and the fifth innings and allowing two hits a pair of walks. The lefty struck out a career-best three in his 38 pitches.
In the fifth, Pompey singled home the Red Raiders sixth run of the night when he poked a single into left that plated Kevin Bazzell. Tech added its seventh run of the night one batter later on a Gavin Kash sac-fly.
After a scoreless sixth from freshman Cole Kaase, the Red Raiders got back-to-back singles from McGee and Green. Freshman Davis Rivers plated McGee on a single two batters later.
Up 8-2, Kaase worked a perfect 1-2-3 seventh, allowing Tech to push its lead to seven in the seventh, when Gage Harrelson scored on an RBI ground out from Tracer Lopez. Kaase retired all six batters he faced and struck out three needing just 30 pitches.
Harrelson went 2-for-4 on Tuesday night, as he scored twice and stole a pair of bases to regain the team lead in steals from Pompey. Harrleson has now stolen nine bags while Pompey has eight steals. With Harrelson’s two steals and the stolen base from Pompey, the Red Raiders have now stolen 25 bases this season. For context, the Red Raiders stole just 28 bags all of last season.
The victory is Tech’s third straight home win and pushes the Red Raiders home record to 10-2.
HEAD COACH TIM TADLOCK:
“I thought the guys, they’re to be commended for the way they went about their stuff today (Tuesday). Played the game the right way,” Texas Tech coach Tim Tadlock said of his squad Tuesday. “Got a lot of guys in there, pitching wise, that we needed to get in there and needed to get them some work.”
UP NEXT:
The Red Raiders welcome new Big 12 foe, BYU, this Thursday for the start of a three-game series. Thursday and Friday’s contests are set for a 6:30 p.m. start with Saturday’s series finale set for a 2 p.m. first pitch.
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Release Provided By Andrew Stern Texas Tech Athletics
