Comeback Bid Falls Short for Series Loss in Austin

Comeback Bid Falls Short for Series Loss in Austin

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AUSTIN – It was the storybook ending every baseball fan dreams of. Two outs, bases loaded, in the ninth inning of a series-deciding rivalry game with the Texas Longhorns in Austin. Gavin Kash, the Texas transfer is at the plate with the bases loaded and he sends a double into right field to tie the ballgame.

But the storybook turned dark in the bottom of the ninth as the #14 Red Raiders (18-6, 2-3) were walked off by the first hitter they faced and Texas (17-7, 2-0) secured the Big 12 series win.

Red Raiders Drop Series Opener to Longhorns in Austin

Mason Molina got the start on the bump for Texas Tech and was excellent through the first three innings, retiring the first eight hitters he faced in order. A solo home run by the Longhorns’ catcher, Ryan Galvan, knotted the game up in the third and an exceptional defensive play from Tracer Lopez behind second base ended the frame.

Offensively, Tech was on Texas starter Travis Sthele from the outset with a Nolen Hester single to lead off the game and a walk to follow, but both were left stranded, a theme that would continue through the contest. Owen Washburn, getting the start in right field, led off the second with a home run to give the Red Raiders the early lead, and in the fourth, his leadoff walk and RBI singles from Lopez and Hester left Tech with a 3-1 advantage.

Lopez and Hester both turned in multi-hit days with Hester reaching safely four times. Scoring the go-ahead run in the fourth, Lopez streaked home and made a fantastic head-first slide, sneaking his hand under the glove of the catcher for the safe call.

Molina scuffled through the third and fourth innings giving up one run on two hits and two walks before giving way to the bullpen with Tech in front 3-2. Josh Sanders entered and struggled, giving up two hits and ultimately two runs to the Longhorns.

Ethan Coombes followed and worked out of the tough spot. After surrendering a single he retired five in order, but a leadoff HBP in the eighth an RBI single added insurance for Texas.

Andrew Devine (1-2) took over for Coombes and struck out the Longhorn cleanup hitter to end the eighth.

Texas Tech bats went quiet through the fifth and sixth, going down in order in both frames facing Texas’ usual Sunday starting pitcher Labarron Johnson, Jr. He was replaced by 6-7 lefthander David Shaw when Johnson gave up a leadoff single to Dylan Maxcey in the seventh and followed with a walk. Shaw pitched around the baserunners and exited the frame unscathed stranding Maxcey at third base.

Drew Woodcox, pinch-hitting for Washburn, supplied a one-out single in the eighth but was also left stranded.

In the ninth, Maxcey once again reached in the leadoff, this time via a walk. After two outs, Kevin Bazzell and Austin Green earned back-to-back walks to load the bases for Kash. Those walks came against two pitchers as the Longhorns pulled Shaw and brought in Friday night’s winning pitcher Zane Morehouse, who tossed 41 pitches across 3 2/3 innings of relief work in the opener. The sophomore transfer from Texas worked into a full count on Morehouse and sent a two-out, two-run single to right field to even the game and set up the storybook finish.

The Longhorns pulled their DH, Friday night’s starting catcher Garret Guillemette, and put him behind the plate for a defensive boost. During Hudson White’s pinch-hit at-bat, Green came streaking home on a passed ball, but Guillemette gathered and blocked the plate, Green tried to go over the top but the Tech half of the frame ended with the putout and the game was tied 5-5.

It was Devine’s game at that point as he became the pitcher of record. Left-fielder Porter Brown sent a leadoff double into left and a Devine balk moved the winning run to third base. Head Coach Tim Tadlock pulled then right fielder Zac Vooletich, who’d entered as a pinch runner for Bazzell, in to give Tech five infielders.

They would not be needed however as a wild pitch by Devine followed to score the winning run for the Longhorns, securing the series victory for Texas.

The Red Raiders had ample opportunities throughout but failed to capitalize leaving nine runners stranded to only two by the Longhorns. Tech was 3-11 (.273) with runners in scoring position to 3-6(.500) by Texas and were 3-19 (.158) to the Longhorns’ 5-12 (.417) with runners on base. Overall, the Red Raiders are 4-29 (.138) with runners on base in the series in Austin.

It was another clean defensive game by the Red Raiders with no errors on the day and Maxcey also finished a strike-em-out, throw-em-out in the eighth to end that frame.

Despite the gnashing of teeth on social media following the game, all is not lost for the Red Raiders by any means. A win Sunday will allow Tech to leave Austin with a .500 record in Big 12 play and their front-loaded schedule provides ample opportunity to continue to vie for a Big 12 title. History is on their side as Texas Tech has not been swept in Austin since 2007.

First pitch for that Sunday game will be at 2:30 pm, allowing the final softball game between Texas Tech and Texas to take place prior. Both games will be available on The Longhorn Network with the radio broadcast available on The Varsity App. As of writing, starting pitchers for Sunday have still not been announced.

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