The #9 Red Raiders (29-14, 9-6) once again failed to secure the series sweep with a Sunday loss at the hands of a conference foe. A one-run ballgame in the bottom of the eighth inning became a boat race in the ninth after a controversial interference call ended the frame and completely derailed Texas Tech’s momentum. The West Virginia Mountaineers (24-14, 7-5) capitalized on that turnaround and posted a 10-run frame to blow the game open and cruise to a 15-4 victory.
Texas Tech stater Chase Hampton struggled out of the gate giving up back-to-back hits to start the game and surrendering two runs while recording only one out in the six hitters he faced. On March 29, Hampton missed a Tuesday start against Stephen F. Austin due to illness and it appears that was a turning point in his season.
Prior to that scratch, Hampton posted 27 strikeouts to 8 walks across 23 innings of work in 5 starts. He averaged just over 2 earned runs per game over that span. Hampton has averaged 3 earned runs in the subsequent 4 starts through 10 innings of work and has only 5 strikeouts to 7 free passes.
“He was really good before that,” said Head Coach Tim Tadlock Sunday. “Ever since that, you haven’t seen it much as far as the command or the fastball for that matter. Definitely need to get him going, need to find a role for him where he can get going and get some confidence. Seems like right now rolling him out there as a starter seems like it’s pretty tough for him right now, first inning’s been tough.”
He gave way in the first to LHP Mason Molina who was excellent in his outing. Molina inherited a bases-loaded jam and stranded them all with a strikeout and groundout. He turned in 3 2/3 innings giving up only one earned run on 3 hits in his appearance. He also made an incredible defensive play in the fourth with the assistance of Hudson White.
After a leadoff double and a sacrifice bunt in the fourth, Molina had a runner on third base with one out. With the corners crashing for a bunt, White mishandled the pitch, but Molina made a heads-up cover play and slid in for the toss from White and the tag. The freshman to freshman connection was impressive, to say the least, as both kept their heads and executed well. The play was upheld by the subsequent review.
No, no, no. Try again next time 🚫@masonmolinaa | #WreckEm pic.twitter.com/ny2yVvk80g
— Texas Tech Baseball (@TTU_Baseball) April 24, 2022
Ultimately Molina (1-5) earned the loss, but it was a solid outing for the lefty and there’s a reasonable expectation that he may get another chance for a Sunday start, a role he’s filled seven times this season.
“Definitely looking for a guy to pitch on Sunday in the start,” said Tadlock. “I thought Mason Molina was really good today, it thought Trendan Parish was really good today. I think that can get lost in how this game turned out, that was a really close baseball game until the ninth inning.”
The Red Raiders were down 2-0 early but posted a run in the third and fourth innings on RBI doubles from Cole Stilwell and Parker Kelly. Stilwell knocked Easton Murrell home from first base after he reached on a perfect drag bunt up the 3B line. Kelly scored White from first as well, he’d reached on a two-out walk.
West Virginia responded in the fifth as Molina’s day ended and Trendan Parish took over. He scuffled in that first inning of work after inheriting a runner at first base. A single, RBI groundout, RBI double, and RBI single allowed the three-spot. Parish ended the frame with a strikeout looking and retired 10 of his next 11 in order, only surrendering a double up the middle that saw the ballpark sit in stunned silence and uneasy anticipation.
A comebacker to Parish, which he almost barehanded, snuck past and sent Jace Jung and Kurt Wilson crossing for the play. Jung gloved the ball but he and Wilson collided violently causing a stoppage in play. Both ultimately looked to be alright and stayed in the game, with Jung fielding the groundout that ended the Mountaineer half of the fifth. They both finished the game and Tadlock indicated that both came out ok. When asked if that hit caused him to hold his breath Tadlock deadpanned, “ya think?”
Stilwell got one back for Tech with a solo home run in the bottom of the fifth, his fifth dinger of the season. It was Stilwell once again in the seventh with his third RBI as his sacrifice fly scored Murrell who led off the inning with a single but advanced to second on an error by the catcher airmailing a snap throw into right field, and advanced to third on the throw. That run closed the gap to 5-4, which was where it sat going into a decisive opportunity for Tech in the bottom of the eighth inning.
White was hit by West Virginia’s ace closer, Trey Braithwaite with one out to get aboard. Kelly followed with a walk and Tadlock pinch-hit Cody Masters for nine-hole hitter Zac Vooletich.
Masters hit into a fielder’s choice that eliminated Kelly at second base. Tech looked to have runners on the corners with two outs and Murrell (who was 2-4 at that point) coming to the plate. However, second base umpire Michael Banks called interference on Kelly, which was an out on Masters and the end of the frame for Tech.
There was an extended conversation between Tadlock and Banks and the call was ultimately reviewed and upheld. As the crew chief, Banks was involved in the review of his own call.
“Have you noticed they’ve been calling that a lot in the big leagues?” asked Tadlock. “I haven’t seen that called in a college game in a long time. The explanation was that he slid away from the base, and so you’ve gotta slide straight into the base.”
After the eighth ended in disappointing fashion, the wheels fell off for the Red Raiders. Shay Hartis entered and surrendered a single, RBI double, and RBI single to extend the Mountaineer lead to 3. He gave way to Austin Becker who struggled with command and issued back-to-back walks and scored another on a wild pitch. Brendan Lysik, who has not appeared in his freshman season due to a back issue aggravated in December, entered for his first appearance.
Lysik walked the first hitter he faced to reload the bases and freshman designated hitter Evan Smith hit a high fly ball to right field that carried on the uncommon northeast wind and left the yard making Smith’s first career home run a grand slam to push the lead to 12-4. Josh Sanders took the bump and got the second out with a groundout but three straight hits tacked on three more runs before a strikeout ended the half-inning.
While the Red Raiders did win the series, it’s a bittersweet victory after the Sunday loss. That marks the third time in Big 12 play Texas Tech has been unable to complete the sweep. Furthermore, Tech’s RPI dropped to #43 with the loss. At this point, it is mathematically impossible for the Red Raiders to raise their RPI back into the top eight nationally and they will need to win out (4 home, 7 road) to re-enter the top 16.
They’ll be back in action on Tuesday at 6:30 pm on Dan Law Field at Rip Griffin Park hosting Abilene Christian (19-20). According to Tadlock, Jamie Hitt will be getting the midweek start against the Wildcats who despite a sub-.500 record, swept Michigan State early in the season and dropped #12 TCU 6-4 in Fort Worth on March 29.
The live stream will be available on the Big 12 Now on ESPN+ with the radio call available on Double T 97.3 FM and in their listening area, as well as through The Varsity Network App.
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