Career Days Lead Red Raiders to Series Victory

Career Days Lead Red Raiders to Series Victory

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Multiple Red Raider players booked a career day Saturday, leading #22 Texas Tech (22-10) to a series victory and wiping away the memory of a disappointing Friday night loss to North Dakota State (8-21).

Bisons Manhandle Tech for Series Opening Win

Game 2

Mason Molina (3-2) started the front end of the doubleheader for the Red Raiders. Molina allowed only six baserunners in a two-hit effort and while he wasn’t perfect, he was effective in shutting down the Bison bats through his 5 1/3 inning start. Molina gave way to Brandon Beckel after hitting a batter and giving up a single. Beckel fielded a groundout for the second out of the inning, but conceded a run in the process, making the game 5-1 in favor of the Red Raiders.

Offensively it was a slow start for Tech, and besides a hit-by-pitch that put Kevin Bazzell on base in the first inning, the Red Raiders were retired in order through three innings. In the fourth, Gage Harrelson led off the frame with a triple off of the left-center field wall, he turned on his impressive jets and, with an assist by an error by the left fielder in picking up the ball, scored on the hit.

Bazzell followed with another HBP and Gavin Kash singled to put two aboard. Owen Washburn scored one with a sacrifice fly and then one of the heroes of the day started a hot streak that lasted through two games.

Zac Vooletich pounded a two-run bomb to left field, the second home run of his Red Raider career. He would go on to book four hits, two walks, and two stolen bases on Saturday. The front end of the doubleheader became his first multi-extra-base hit day as a Red Raider when he added a double in the sixth as part of a three-run frame.

In the sixth, it was Bazzell with a two-run double and Harrelson with an RBI fielder’s choice that extended the Tech lead to 8-1. Bazzell’s double was his sixteenth of the season, a mark that leads the Big 12 Conference.

But the Bison punched back with another run in the seventh and then strung together three hits and two walks to tack on three more in the eighth inning. Jase Lopez entered with two men on and one out, but he worked back-to-back strikeouts to end the threat and stop the bleeding. Ryan Free took the ball to follow and slammed the door in the ninth, earning the first save of his career at Texas Tech.

Vooletich, who started the Friday game as the designated hitter, took over at second base in both games Saturday with Austin Green not feeling well. He turned in a clean day in the middle infield and was part of two turned double plays. He also caught a lineout, the final out to end the first game of the day.

“It’s always cool when guys aren’t in the lineup and then they get the opportunity and they jump in there and they make something happen,” said Head Coach Tim Tadlock. “You know, extend at-bats, hit the ball hard, run the bases good. Really proud of the way he handled that.”

Vooletich’s big day wasn’t done yet, and he and Free wouldn’t be the only two Red Raiders to set new high-water marks for their careers.

Game 3

In the back end of the doubleheader, Hudson White moved from catcher to designated hitter and Dylan Maxcey took over behind the dish. Vooletich remained at second base and Drew Woodcox took over in right field after Washburn was injured. In the sixth inning of the first game of the day, Washburn dove for a ball and hung his arm up on the attempt. He dislocated his elbow and will of course be out for an extended time as a result.

Trendan Parish (2-0) had the ball for the Red Raiders in this one. He retired the first four batters he faced in order, but they strung together three hits in the second inning and took an early 2-0 lead. Parish shut them down for the next three innings, at one point retiring five Bison in a row. A leadoff double and sacrifice fly in the sixth would plate their final run.

Overall Parish was excellent in his third start and he made it a career day. Parish struck out five, tying his career high, and he set a new career-high with six innings pitched. Parish joins four other Tech pitchers who have turned in a six-inning performance this season: Brendan Girton (Gonzaga), Bo Blessie (Gonzaga), Mason Molina (Michigan), and Kyle Robinson (Texas A&M).

There were multiple elite defensive plays with Kash snagging a screaming grounder down the right-field line.

Or Bazzell’s barehanded snag and throw on the run that completed Robinson’s save effort.

Offensively Tech was slow to get rolling. But in the fourth inning, Bazzell led off with a single, and White got aboard when he was plunked. Vooletich knocked Bazzell home with an RBI single and the Red Raiders cut the Bison lead to one run.

In the fifth inning, they really got things going as Harrelson knocked in Tracer Lopez, who’d led off the frame with a single. Bazzell followed with a walk and Kash, with his second hit of the weekend, pounded a moonshot home run to left field to give the Red Raiders their first lead of the day, and they never looked back.

It was Kash’s 13th home run of the season, a mark that leads the Big 12 Conference. He also leads in slugging percentage (.794), OPS (1.249), and RBI (46).

Tech would plate a run in each of the next three innings, including a home run by Bazzell, his fourth of the season.

Parish gave way to Robinson in the seventh and K-Rob was excellent, he retired all nine batters he faced in order and like Free, earned the first save of his career.

When asked about Robinson’s performance, Vooletich responded. “Oh man it fired me up. I was in his ear the whole time ‘keep going, keep going.'”

“That guy’s got great stuff and just had a couple bad falls man, but that guy’s got some of the best stuff on the team, by far,” added Parish. “I mean effortless 94-95 [mph], man he’s got great stuff.”

“You could see the way he was walking around up there too,” continued Vooletich. “So it’s fun to watch.”

Red Raider fans are hoping their team gives them something fun to watch this week, as they head to Palo Alto, California to take on the #8 Stanford Cardinal in a midweek tilt scheduled for Monday at 8:00 pm CT and Tuesday at 4:00 pm CT. Monday’s broadcast will be available on the Pac 12 Networks and radio call with Geoff Haxton and Dr. Mike Gustafson will be available on Double T 97.3 FM in Lubbock and on The Varsity App.

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