LAWRENCE – The Red Raiders (24-6, 4-2) were unable to secure the sweep in their first Big 12 road series and fell to the Kansas Jayhawks (10-16, 1-5) by a score of 5-8 Sunday. Tech came from behind to defeat the Jayhawks Friday, taking the lead with a four-run seventh and insuring the victory with a three-run ninth. On Saturday, Tech blasted the Jayhawks for a 28-2 victory, the second time in 2022 the Red Raiders have scored 28 in a game.
While Tech secured the series victory with the Saturday blowout, the victory is bittersweet as for the second time in as many Big 12 series, the Red Raiders were unable to secure the sweep. Tech defeated Texas in two thrilling walk-off victories but was run-ruled in the Sunday matchup to lose that bid at a sweep last weekend.
Mason Molina struggled early in his seventh start of the season. Following a leadoff single, Molina sat the two-hole hitter down looking, but an RBI double and two-run homer gave Kansas an early 3-1 lead that they did not relinquish the rest of the way. Ultimately, Molina’s four innings of work saw Kansas book 7 hits and a walk resulting in 6 earned runs. The bullpen found a bit more success against the Jayhawks’ offense but combined to surrender two runs, allowing Kansas the breathing room they needed to maintain an advantage throughout.
Hudson White was red-hot in Kansas, going 9-11, 2B, HR, 6RBI, 7R, 4BB in the series and he continued that hot streak Sunday hitting his first dinger of the weekend and third of his Red Raider career. White’s home run cut the Kansas lead to 2, but the Jayhawks plated two in the bottom of the same inning to extend their lead further. White’s hot streak has gone further than Kansas. After starting the season 1-22, White has batted .346 since breaking that early streak with a home run at Dallas Baptist.
First hit of the day is a BLAST 🚀@Hudsonwhite8 | #WreckEm pic.twitter.com/JrEfNX4P9W
— Texas Tech Baseball (@TTU_Baseball) April 3, 2022
The Red Raiders worked to battle back in the seventh with a Ty Coleman RBI double followed immediately by a two-RBI single by Kurt Wilson. Tech pushed the score to 5-7 but was unable to bring things any closer the rest of the way. Kansas added an insurance run in the eighth to push the final score to 5-8.
T7 | An RBI double closes the gap to 7-3 @TyColeman7 | #WreckEm pic.twitter.com/QxTKwvj0n9
— Texas Tech Baseball (@TTU_Baseball) April 3, 2022
Easton Murrell had another strong day leading off for the Red Raiders. For the second consecutive day, the left-fielder reached safely in all but one of his plate appearances with two walks, an HBP, and a single. He came around to score twice as well.
Texas Tech will extend the road trip through the midweek as they head to Phoenix, Arizona to face Grand Canyon University out of the Western Athletic Conference. They are a three-time WAC Champion (2015, 2017, 2018) and won the WAC Tournament in 2021, making their first NCAA Tournament appearance. The live stream will be available 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.
Game 2: Red Raiders Clinch Road Series Win
TTU30 box score