No. 10 Texas Tech Overpowers Sooners to Clinch Series
Red Raiders earn first series win in Norman since 1999.
Box Score (PDF) | Postgame Notes (PDF)
NORMAN, Okla. – No. 10 Texas Tech baseball plated four runs in the seventh for its second straight comeback win over Oklahoma and securing the series victory with a 7-3 win on Saturday at L. Dale Mitchell Park.
After taking the lead Friday night with three runs in the seventh, the Red Raiders (32-14, 13-7) put up four in the seventh on Saturday to flip a 2-1 deficit into a 5-2 advantage. Junior infielders Brian Klein and Josh Jung came up with the key hits as Klein put Tech in front with a two-run double to right and Jung hit a two-run blast that extended the lead to three.
The win is Tech’s seventh straight conference win and clinches its third straight Big 12 series victory. This is Tech’s first series win in Norman since 1999.
Tech starter Caleb Kilian and OU starter Levi Prater pitched scoreless games into the fifth before the Sooners (30-17, 8-9) took a 2-0 lead. Kilian was replaced after the fifth with sophomore Connor Queen (3-0) tossing 2.2 scoreless innings in the win while junior Dane Haveman held off the Sooners for the final 1.1 frames.
Sophomore Gabe Holt went 3-for-5 to lead the Tech lineup. He followed a walk from Tanner O’Tremba in the seventh with his second hit of the day, then motored around from first on Klein’s double to score as the go-ahead run. He added an RBI double in the eighth that made it a 6-2 game.
Senior Cameron Warren followed his monstrous day Friday with two hits and two walks. He doubled in the seventh and started a two-out rally in the ninth with a knock up the middle. An infield error allowed him to score to make it 7-2 with three outs remaining.
The Red Raiders left the bases loaded in the first, but elevated the pitch count of Prater, who went on to retire the next 11 batters he faced. Sophomore catcher Braxton Fulford broke the streak with a triple off the wall in right that he attempted to stretch into an inside-the-park home run but was called out at the plate.
Tech got on the board an inning later as sophomore Dylan Neuse singled and was moved to third after a pair of walks. Designated hitter Cole Stilwell worked the count full and drew a bases-loaded walk to trim the lead to one.
With a new pitcher on the mound for the seventh, O’Tremba led off with a pinch-hit walk. Holt connected on a one-out single to set up Klein’s double. After another call to the bullpen, Jung greeted the fresh pitcher with his two-run homer.
The top five players in the Red Raider lineup hit safely and scored with Holt, Warren and Fulford all recording multi-hit games. Tech is now 7-10 this season when trailing after the sixth inning.
The Red Raiders will look to complete the sweep Sunday at 1 p.m. on ESPNU. Tech will trot out sophomore Bryce Bonnin (3-1) against freshman right-hander Ben Abram (6-1) for Oklahoma.
–TECH–
Ty Parker
