After a season punctuated by the frustration of midweek losses and maddening regression, it appeared the Red Raiders had turned a corner after sweeping the #3 Oklahoma State Cowboys in Stillwater last weekend. #5 Texas Tech (35-17, 14-8) held their destiny in their hands and the second sweep in as many series would guarantee an outright Big 12 Championship. But the Oklahoma Sooners (32-19, 14-8) had other ideas and exploded for six home runs to take Tech down 13-8.
The Red Raiders appeared poised to cruise to a game one victory Thursday night as they jumped out to a 4-1 lead over the Sooners. But 5 more home runs followed as Oklahoma took a commanding 9-4 lead into the seventh inning and starter Jake Bennett held the Tech bats to one hit after the second.
It was a rocky start for RHP Andrew Morris (7-1) as he allowed a leadoff home run to John Spikerman giving OU the early lead. But Morris settled in and retired the next six Sooner hitters in order. A solo bomb by Jackson Nicklaus to lead off the third sparked a two-run frame and cut Tech’s lead to one. Morris responded in the fourth setting them down in order.
A go-ahead two-run blast in the fifth by Peyton Graham would be his only hit of the day but it was the sixth where the wheels fell off for Morris. Back-to-back shots to lead off the frame made it 7-4 in favor of the Sooners, Morris issued his first walk, and the designated hitter Brett Squires pounded another two-run shot, ending Morris’s day.
The 6 home runs surrendered in this game is the highest total by a Red Raider squad since giving up 7 bombs to Gonzaga in a 9-13 loss on March 10, 2010.
“He’s been one of our best guys the whole year,” said Head Coach Tim Tadlock. “If we could start Andrew Morris tomorrow or Saturday, not that you can, but we’ll take our chances any day of the week I guess is my point with Andrew Morris.”
Compounding the frustrations of the day were the Red Raiders’ offensive woes. Back-to-back doubles by Cole Stilwell and Jace Jung in the first tied the game at 1-1, and Ty Coleman immediately sent a two-run dinger over the left-field wall for a 3-1 advantage. Stilwell barreled his second ball of the day in the second inning and scored Dillon Carter, who led off the frame with a single.
𝙏𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙤𝙤𝙤𝙤𝙤𝙤𝙤𝙤𝙣! 🚀@TyColeman7 gets all of that one and it’s 3-1 just four Red Raider batters into the game‼️ pic.twitter.com/O9XCPzSBGo
— Texas Tech Baseball (@TTU_Baseball) May 19, 2022
Texas Tech would not plate another run until the ninth inning and after the second, Jake Bennett would face only one more than the minimum over the next four innings. Tech threatened in the seventh when Carter reached on an error by Nicklaus and Easton Murrell wore his second pitch of the day. Murrell now sits at 24 HBPs on the year, one shy of tying Jamodrick McGruder for the second most prolific season in that category in Red Raider history.
Coleman loaded the bases with a two-out single and after a pitching change, Kurt Wilson looked to have pounded a grand slam, but the wind quieted and the high fly ball was caught against the wall to end the frame and leave the bases loaded.
The Red Raider bullpen did have its bright spots as Jamie Hitt entered in the sixth and turned in two solid innings. Garrett Crowley followed Hitt for the second appearance of his Red Raider career, the first coming on March 5 against Merrimack.
“I’m really proud of Garrett,” said Tadlock. “I think we got better today with his presence and with his appearance and he’s going to help us down the road here as we move forward.”
An error on a stolen base pickoff attempt in the seventh plated OU’s 10th run and they added three more in the top of the ninth. Texas Tech responded with a leadoff home run by Murrell followed by Stilwell’s second double of the day. After a pitching change, Coleman added his third hit and Wilson followed with his first, a double. Owen Washburn each added an RBI on a single and a groundout respectively, but the rally ended when Parker Kelly grounded out to third base.
Texas Tech will need to win the next two against the Sooners to tie with TCU and claim a share of the Big 12 Championship. Oklahoma State had an opportunity to work into that share with a sweep of Baylor in Waco, but OSU blew an 11-3 lead as they lost their fifth game in a row and were walked off for the second time in two weeks. The Sooners still have a chance to claim a share of the title as well if they sweep the Red Raiders this weekend.
First pitch Friday is scheduled for 6:30 pm. The live stream will be available on 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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