STILLWATER – It was another pulse-pounding finish for the Red Raiders as Austin Becker fanned the final Cowboy hitter to earn his first save at Texas Tech and the second of his college career. Becker’s performance earned the Red Raiders (35-16, 14-7) their first conference sweep on the road in 2022 and their second conference sweep of the season beating Oklahoma State (34-17, 13-8) in a 6-4 thriller.
Texas Tech has now swept the Cowboys in three consecutive series in Stillwater dating back to 2016, this was the first of those in O’Brate Stadium. The Red Raiders have won five consecutive series overall against OSU dating back to the 2018 season, and have not lost in Stillwater since 2014.
Chase Hampton (4-3) was excellent in the start for the Red Raiders in what felt like a return to form for the sophomore from Kilgore. He allowed only 1 run off of 3 hits in a five-inning quality start. Hampton struck out 9 Cowboy hitters, a new career-high by more than double for the right-hander.
Hampton got help from the Red Raider bats starting with a two-out solo home run to right field by Jace Jung for his 13th of the year as he reclaimed the team lead. After a couple of quiet games for Jung, he got back right on Sunday and finished the day 3-4 with the HR and 2RBI. The freshman showcase continued Sunday as well as Owen Washburn and Hudson White tallied back-to-back doubles to make it a 2-0 game. Hampton’s lone surrendered run came in a three-hit third inning that made it a 2-1 Tech advantage walking into the fifth.
The Red Raiders did all of their damage in the fifth with one out. After OSU reliever Hueston Morrill hung a ꓘ to start the frame, Jung and Ty Coleman sent back-to-back singles through the right and left sides respectively and Kurt Wilson loaded the bases with a hit by pitch. Washburn and White struck again with back-to-back singles combining for three RBI and giving Tech a 5-2 advantage.
On the weekend, Washburn and White combined to go 12-29, 4 2B, 2HR, 11RBI, 4R and both also turned in excellent defensive performances over the weekend.
In the sixth, it was more stacked hits as Easton Murrell, Cole Stilwell, and Jung tallied back-to-back-to-back singles to tack on one more for a 6-2 lead.
𝘓𝘦𝘵 𝘪𝘵 𝘧𝘭𝘺 ✈️@jace17jung | #WreckEm pic.twitter.com/y1rWlNHW4p
— Texas Tech Baseball (@TTU_Baseball) May 15, 2022
The much-maligned Texas Tech bullpen had its bright spots Sunday. Hampton gave way to Mason Molina in the sixth and the lefthander worked around a leadoff single and a one-out walk to put together a scoreless frame. After a double and walk in the seventh, Molina handed the ball to Josh Sanders with two aboard and one out. Sanders gave up a single and worked out of the jam with limited damage on an RBI fielder’s choice and a groundout to second. But in the eighth, Sanders loaded the bases with no outs (double, single, walk) and it was up to Becker to answer the call.
Becker came out firing 95mph bullets but struggled early to locate his breaking pitch. An RBI single and RBI fielder’s choice made it a two-run frame, but Becker struck out back-to-back Cowboys to limit the damage and head to the ninth with a 6-4 advantage for the Red Raiders.
Tech’s offense went quiet in late innings as the Cowboy bullpen committee retired 12 of Tech’s last 13 hitters. Only Washburn managed to get aboard over that span on a two-out single in the ninth.
Tim Tadlock sent Becker back out for the pivotal ninth inning. He surrendered a leadoff single and then hung a ꓘ on shortstop Marcus Brown. An HBP put two aboard and a diving catch by Washburn in right field earned Becker his second out. It was high drama in Stillwater as a walk to Roc Riggio loaded the bases putting the winning run on first base, just as it was on Friday night in this hotly contested series. But Becker locked in and fanned right-fielder Zach Ehrhard for his fourth strikeout of the day to earn the save and secure Tech’s second Big 12 sweep this season.
Time to celebrate!!!!!!!!!!! pic.twitter.com/0kcSniQh8N
— Texas Tech Baseball (@TTU_Baseball) May 15, 2022
The sweep catapulted Tech back into the mix for the Big 12 Championship. The Red Raiders stand alone in second place with TCU at first with a 16-8 record after sweeping Kansas this weekend. However, TCU’s conference slate has been completed as their remaining four games are all against non-conference opponents. At 14-7, Tech will need a series win over Oklahoma in Lubbock next weekend to force the shared title and a sweep for the outright claim to the program’s sixth Big 12 Conference Baseball Championship and fourth of the Tim Tadlock era.
First-pitch against Oklahoma is scheduled for 6:30 pm on Thursday, May 19. 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.
Salamis, Web Gems, and Wild Pitches for the Win
OSU-Texas Tech Box Score 3