There is a familiar adage in sports to take what the defense gives you. Works in baseball as much as anything else.
Texas Tech was more than happy to accept whatever West Virginia was giving up early on Saturday afternoon in the middle game of the teams’ Big 12 Conference series.
What came back and stung the Red Raiders was the final few innings when two Mountaineer relievers finally got stingy.
WVU scratched out single runs in the 8th and 9th innings to catch then beat No. 8/7-ranked Texas Tech 6-5 at Monongalia County Ballpark in a herky-jerky matchup between teams fighting to stay alive for a spot in the upper half of the Big 12 standings.
The Mountaineers (14-15, 5-6 Big 12) evened the series to force the Red Raiders (25-8, 6-5) into a rubber game for the fourth time in as many conference weekends.
Mikey Kluska’s bases-loaded ground ball to Tech first baseman Cole Stilwell supplied the game-winner in the bottom of the 9th when the throw pulled catcher Braxton Fulford’s foot off the plate, allowing pinch-runner Ben Abernathy to slide in safely.
The last run was a case of WVU taking what was given – the last two tallies against Red Raider reliever Ryan Sublette.
After retiring six of the first seven hitters he faced, Sublette (4-1) couldn’t subdue the offensively-challenged Mountaineers. Victor Scott worked him for a one-out walk in the 8th, followed by consecutive singles from Hudson Byorick and Paul McIntosh – the second knock scoring Scott to even the score, 5-5.
Kevin Brophy poked a single through the right side on Sublette’s first offering of the 9th inning and Austin Davis dumped another hit to left field. Tyler Doanes walked to fill the basepaths before Kluska made solid enough contact on a 1-and-2 pitch to force the Texas Tech defense to make a play.
As opportunistic as WVU was in the closing stages, the Red Raiders’ offense hit the wall.
Texas Tech grabbed a 5-4 lead with a three-spot in the 6th inning and was poised to extend the lead in the 7th when Cal Conley yanked a leadoff single and Cody Masters walked.
Mountaineer reliever Noah Short got Parker Kelly to fly out to right field and then handed the ball to Skylar Gonzales, who snuffed out the threat by striking out Dillon Carter and East Murrell.
The flyball and two Ks began a frustrating final span when nine of the last 10 Red Raiders were retired – six on strikeouts – and Texas Tech managed just one hit in its final 13 official at-bats. WVU’s Jacob Watters got the last three outs in the 9th to set up the game-winner.
Even before the final frustrating stretch, Texas Tech scuffled to create its own scoring chances. In the first 5 innings, the Red Raiders got at least one runner on base in every frame but managed only two runs. Two innings ended on double plays, including the 4th to squash a bases-loaded chance.
The 6th inning was a breakthrough but mainly because Mountaineer pitchers suddenly seemed allergic to the strike zone. Tech’s three runs were the products of four hit batters, two walks, and a sacrifice fly. Before things got worse, Short set down Stilwell on an infield popup and induced a 5-4 fielder’s choice against Dru Baker with the bases loaded.
Still, seizing the lead seemed to create some momentum until Gonzales and Watters flipped the game on its head and gave the Mountaineers a chance to snatch the victory away.
Game 3 is set for noon Sunday. The Red Raiders will send left-hander Mason Montgomery to the hill opposite of WVU southpaw Ben Hampton. Tech has won two of the three rubber games it has played so far in Big 12 play.
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