STATESBORO – Chase Hampton (5-4) took over the game in the second inning and pitched an absolute gem garnering a career-high 12 strikeouts, but it wasn’t enough as the (3) Red Raiders (37-21) dropped a nailbiter 2-3 to the (2) Notre Dame Fighting Irish (35-14) in a 10 hour and 25-minute ordeal to open the first NCAA Regional hosted by Georgia Southern.
Andrew Morris got the start for Tech but scuffled early giving up back-to-back singles to start the game. After a walk, a one-out, bases-loaded ground-rule double put the Red Raiders into an early 2-0 hole. Immediately after the double, the game went into a weather delay that lasted 5 hours and 59 minutes.
Derek Bridges entered and struck out the side to end the continued first inning and then Tech handed the ball to Hampton. The sophomore from Kilgore was excellent holding the Fighting Irish to 1 unearned run on 3 hits and with only 2 walks to his dozen strikeouts. In addition to career-high Ks, Hampton matched his career-high in pitches thrown at 97 making it three appearances in a row at that number.
As Hampton held Notre Dame scoreless across six innings the Red Raiders’ offense was unable to provide any run support. Tech left 9 baserunners stranded through the seventh, including two situations with bases loaded in which they came up empty.
In the eighth, Owen Washburn led off the frame with a walk and Parker Kelly followed with a hit-by-pitch to put two aboard with no outs. After a foul flyout, Dillon Carter laid down a sacrifice bunt to move both runners into scoring position and Easton Murrell sent a chopper over the pitcher’s glove and into center field to score both and tie the game.
Kelly, Jace Jung, and Ty Coleman all found their way aboard three times Friday night with Kelly the only of those to score and Coleman owning both of Tech’s RBIs.
Tech’s excitement was short-lived however as a frustrating bottom of the eighth inning saw Notre Dame take the final lead. The leadoff hitter reached on a called catcher’s interference. Video replay showed that David LaManna’s bat didn’t hit Hudson White’s mitt, but the call stood. He was moved to second base by a sacrifice bunt and his pinch runner immediately stole third base. A wild pitch by Mason Molina, who entered after LaManna reached, scored the go-ahead run for the Irish.
Coleman reached on a one-out single in the ninth. Cooper Swanson pinch ran and while stealing second base was advanced to third by a throwing error from the plate. Swanson became the thirteenth and final Red Raider left stranded as Washburn went down looking to end the game, completing Tech’s season-high nineteenth strikeout performance.
The Red Raiders ended the day hitting 1-12 (.083) with runners in scoring position and only 3-20 (.150) with runners on base.
Texas Tech moves into the loser’s bracket of the Statesboro Regional and will face the loser of Game 2 between (1) Georgia Southern (40-18) and (4) UNC-Greensboro 34-28 in an elimination game. Game 2 was moved from 6:00 pm CST Friday to 9:00 am Saturday as a result of the weather delay.
The Red Raiders’ elimination game matchup is scheduled for 12:00 pm Saturday or 55 minutes after Game 2 ends. There is more inclement weather forecast for the Statesboro area Saturday which could force further delays.
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