Tech Sweeps Houston With 12-Inning Win
By: David Collier
Updated: April 15, 2012
Courtesy of Texas Tech.
LUBBOCK, Texas -
Texas Tech won its fourth straight game and captured its first series
sweep of the season with a 10-9 victory over Houston in 12 innings on
Sunday afternoon at Dan Law Field at Rip Griffin Park.
Holding
a 9-1 lead after seven innings, Tech (22-15) allowed six runs in the
eighth and two in the ninth to the Cougars (12-21-1), who battled back
to extend the game
into extra-innings.
Junior
outfielder Nick Hanslik led off the 12th inning with an infield single
and four batter later scored the game-winning run on center fielder
Barrett Barnes' walk-off
infield single to the shortstop, giving Tech its first three-game
non-conference series sweep since 2006 (UNC-Asheville).
Hanslik,
in his first start of the season, led the way for Tech going 4-for-6
with two runs and two RBI. Sophomore catcher Mason Randolph also had
four hits going
4-for-5 with two runs scored while Jamodrick McGruder (2-for-4, 2 runs, 2
RBI), Barnes (2-for-7, 2 RBI), Scott LeJeune (3-for-6, 2 doubles, 2
runs, RBI) and Stephen Hagen (2-for-4, HR, 2 RBI) all finished with
multi-hit games.
Earning
the win for the Red Raiders was junior reliever Jerad McCrummen (2-1)
who pitched the final 2.2 innings without allowing a runner to reach
second base and
facing only one batter over the minimum with two strikeouts.
Taking
the loss for Houston was Codey Morehouse (1-2) who started the game at
first base and then pitched the final 4.2 innings for the Cougars
allowing one run on
six hits with three strikeouts and two walks.
The
Red Raiders and Cougars combined for 19 runs, 32 base hits and 10
relief pitchers in the contest that lasted four hours and 12 minutes.
Tech
jumped out to a 6-1 lead after Hagen blasted his first home run of the
season (10th career) and Hanslik and Randolph came around to score on
McGruder's double
to center field in the fourth inning.
The Red Raiders added three runs in the seventh to take a 9-1 lead following RBI singles from Barnes, LeJeune and Hanslik.
The
game got interesting in the top of the eighth when Houston sent nine
batters to the plate while scoring six runs (two unearned, six team
unearned) on three hits
- the big one a three-run homer from pinch hitter Casey Grayson.
Tech
reliever Andre Wheeler started the eighth before the Red Raiders
brought in Aaron Corwin and Brennan Stewart in the inning as Houston
made the score 9-7.
The
Cougars then tied the game in the top of the ninth. Tech closer Shane
Broyles retired the first two batters in the inning, but Houston
followed with two singles
and a two-run triple by Morehouse. Broyles got out of the inning with
the score tied while getting a ground-ball out to shortstop Tim
Proudfoot with the bases loaded.
After
Tech couldn't score in the bottom of the ninth, neither team tallied a
run in the 10th or 11th innings, before the Red Raiders scored the
game-winning run in
the bottom of the 12th.
Texas
Tech will conclude its season-long, 10-game homestand on Tuesday (6
p.m.) and Wednesday (1 p.m.) hosting New Mexico for a two-game midweek
series at Dan Law
Field at Rip Griffin Park.
