SERIES UPDATE
No. 8/7 Texas Tech (25-8, 6-5 Big 12) at West Virginia (14-15, 5-6)
Game 1: Texas Tech 7, West Virginia 2 | RECAP
Game 2: West Virginia 6, Texas Tech 5 | RECAP
Game 3: Noon Sunday
WHERE: Monongalia County Ballpark | Morgantown, West Virginia
RADIO: 97.3-FM | TuneIn Radio App
TV: Big 12 Now on ESPN+
INTERNET: RedRaiderDugout.com
TWITTER: @RandyRosetta | @RedRaiderDugout | @KeithBPatrick
PROBABLE STARTING PITCHERS
Sunday – Texas Tech LH Mason Montgomery (1-1, 35.2 IP, 4.13 ERA, 36 SO/17 BB, .222 BAA) vs. WVU LH Ben Hampton (3-0, 20.1 IP, 3.10 ERA, 18 SO/6 BB, .159 BAA)
OUT OF THE BULLPEN
Texas Tech – RH Chase Hampton (1-0, 1 save, 17 IP, 3.71 ERA, 10 SO/9 BB, .179 BAA), RH Brendan Girton (1-0, 1 save, 15 IP, 4.20 ERA, 15 SO/10 BB, .271 BAA); LH Derek Bridges (0-0, 5.2 IP, 4.76 ERA, 7 SO/0 BB, .318 BAA); RH Connor Queen (1-0, 4 saves, 11 IP, 4.91 ERA, 9 SO/5 BB, .310 BAA), LH Eli Riechmann (1-0, 5 IP, 5.40 ERA. 5 SO/4 BB, .278 BAA)
West Virginia – RH Jacob Watters (2-0, 2 saves, 11.2 IP, 1.54 ERA, 24 SO/15 BB, .200 BAA); RH Noah Short (0-0, 16 IP, 1.69 ERA, 22 SO/7 BB, .182 BAA); RH Skylar Gonzales (0-1, 1 save, 19 IP, 3.32 ERA, 14 SO/5 BB, .338 BAA)
LINEUP LEADERS
Texas Tech – 2B Jace Jung (.393/.510/.820, 33 R, 48 RBIs, 7 2B, 15 HR, 30 BB); LF Dru Baker (.393/.469/.518, 34 R, 15 RBIs, 6 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 13-15 SB); SS Cal Conley (.324/.394/.500, 22 R, 30 RBIs, 9 2B, 5 HR, 5-6 SB); C Braxton Fulford (.277/.387/.594, 23 R, 27 RBIs, 7 2B, 2 3B, 7 HR)
West Virginia – DH/C Vince Ippoliti (.313/.431/.388 16 R, 15 RBIs, 2 HR); 1B/LF Hudson Byorick (.309/.423/.494, 12 R, 13 RBIs, 7 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 15 BB); SS Mikey Kluska (.293/.346/.422, 15 R, 21 RBIs, 1 2B, 1 3B 4 HR); C Paul McIntosh (.266/.352/.468, 14 R, 13 RBIs, 4 2B, 4 HR); RF Austin Davis (.264/.343/.319, 14 R, 7 RBI, 3 2B, 1 3B, 9-10 SB); 2B Tyler Doanes (.254/.376/.310, 11 R, 12 RBIs, 4 2B)
SERIES SUMMARY
GAME 2: Texas Tech’s sticks went quiet the last 2.2 innings and that opened the door for West Virginia to rally with single runs in the 8th and 9th innings. The Red Raiders’ shoddy defense early (3 errors), 12 runners left on base, and scuffling to hit with runners on base (2-for-17) nullified a 6th-inning rally when they grabbed a lead. Texas Tech heads into a rubber game for the fourth time in as many Big 12 Conference weekends in need of an offensive infusion against the third straight left-handed starting pitcher the Mountaineers will send to the mound.
GAME 1: Patrick Monteverde was back to the form he has flashed most of the season, Braxton Fulford found an offensive groove to ignite a quick start and efficiently relentless attack and the Red Raiders claimed their second Big 12 Conference series opener on the road in as many tries this season with a tidy performance. Monteverde twirled 7 2-hit innings with 7 strikeouts to keep the Mountaineers under wraps. They did push home a pair of 9th-inning runs, but by then Texas Tech had nailed down a key conference road win, thanks in large part to Fulford (3-for-4, 2 R, 4 RBIs), whose triple in the 1st inning anchored an immediate 2-0 lead. He added a home run and a single to spark the Red Raiders’ 9-hit night, but they still struggled with strikeouts – 14 of them.
