FORT WORTH – The #4 Red Raiders (27-10, 7-3) fell 4-7 to the #21 TCU Horned Frogs (22-12, 8-5) Thursday night in Tech’s second Big 12 road series of the season. Texas Tech was unable to capitalize on three errors by the Horned Frogs and managed only five hits against strong TCU pitching that struck out 14 and retired the final 7 Tech hitters in order.
It was an evening of upheaval across college baseball with #2 Miami, #4 Texas Tech, #7 Texas, #9 Louisville, #10 Notre Dame, #13 Georgia, #16 DBU, and #17 Auburn all falling to lower-ranked or unranked opponents. At the time of writing, #12 UCLA also trailed 8-1.
The Red Raiders’ game in Fort Worth was scoreless through three, but Texas Tech got on the board first in what started as a pitcher’s duel. Owen Washburn reached on an error in the fourth scoring Jace Jung, who had led off the inning with a walk. An out later, Parker Kelly sent a single into left field scoring Ty Coleman, who had followed Jung with a single up the middle.
Andrew Morris got the series-opening start, his eighth of the season, and turned in four excellent innings giving up only 1 walk, 1 hit batsman, and 1 hit. Morris responded well to the hit, a leadoff double in the fourth, by working around it to retire the side in order to follow. Morris faced only one batter above the minimum through three.
In the fifth, Morris fanned the first two batters, but a two-out single followed by an RBI double cut the Red Raider lead to one.
The sixth was a tough one for Morris. The reigning Big 12 Newcomer of the Week, his second such award of the season, saw red-hot Tommy Sacco even the game with a leadoff home run and two runners found their way aboard to follow with back-to-back singles. An RBI groundout and RBI double scored both to push the Horned Frogs ahead by two runs.
Easton Murrell resumed his place at the top of the Tech batting order Thursday after missing four games with stitches in his knee to close a wound sustained in Phoenix while hustling for a foul ball. No Red Raider had more than a single hit Thursday, but Murrell had the biggest swing of the day. Hudson White led off the seventh by reaching on an error. With two outs, Murrell sent a full-count offering from TCU starter Rile Cornelio over the right-field fence to even the game once again at four. Stilwell worked a walk following Murrell’s bomb bringing Cornelio’s day to an end after his 114th pitch.
Stilwell would be the last Red Raider to reach safely as relievers Augie Milbauer and Luke Savage combined for a perfect 2 1/3 innings, retiring the last 7 Red Raider hitters in order, five of which went down via strikeout.
After the sixth inning, Morris gave way to Colin Clark who lasted only 1/3 of an inning after giving up a single, walk, and RBI single. Shay Hartis entered and went the rest of the way for Tech. An RBI groundout for the second out of the seventh completed a two-run frame for TCU. Gray Rodgers added an exclamation point to the TCU effort with a solo home run in the eighth to reach the final score.
In a time when the bullpen is struggling to hold opponents down, the absence of Texas Tech reliever Brendan Girton is pointedly felt. Girton has not made an appearance since March 20 at Iowa and continues to be unavailable due to an undisclosed injury.
“The longer he’s out, the longer it’ll take for him to get back, that’s the simplest thing,” said Head Coach Tim Tadlock before the K-State series. “Anytime a pitcher is out and they’re not throwing, you’ve gotta have them build back up to get throwing.
Believe me I’d like to say he’s ready to go right now, but right now he’s not. He’s out this weekend, I would say even next easily. The good thing for him, it’s nothing like serious stuff, it’s just a nagging deal.”
The “next” in that comment from Tadlock referred to this series against TCU.
“We’ll need some good news to just say ‘hey, let’s get him on the mound and get him going.'”
In 2021 Girton made 18 appearances and tossed 24 1/3 innings, making him Tech’s most experienced reliever remaining on the 2022 roster. Before the injury, Girton made 9 appearances and tossed 18 strikeouts with 7 walks in 17 2/3 innings of work, good for a WHIP of 0.96. Girton held opposing hitters to an average of .159, a level of efficiency and reliability the Red Raiders are missing in games the offense isn’t producing at a prolific level.
Texas Tech will face TCU in game two of the series Friday at 6:00 pm at Lupton Stadium in Fort Worth. 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.
TTU37 box score