Tech Baseball Takes Midweek Opener
By: Scott Lacefield-Texas Tech Communications
Updated: March 12, 2013
LUBBOCK, Texas -
Junior left-handed pitcher Jonny Drozd struck out 10 batters in seven
shutout innings while guiding Texas Tech to a 9-2 victory over Utah
Valley
on Tuesday evening at Dan Law Field at Rip Griffin Park.
Texas
Tech (11-7) improved to 9-2 at home this season while not committing an
error for the third consecutive game and manufacturing nine runs on
nine hits. The Wolverines
dropped to 7-9 overall and to 4-5 on the road this season.
Drozd
(2-1), who was making his first career start at home, was perfect
through 4.1 innings before allowing a single to center field in the
fifth inning.
He
went on to retire the next seven batters in a row before a single and a
walk in the seventh gave the Wolverines their first runner in scoring
position, but then
Drozd struck out left fielder Kade Andrus to end the scoring threat.
Drozd
struck out multiple batters in four frames - including striking out the
side in his final inning of work in the seventh. He allowed just two
base hits and one
walk while becoming the third Red Raider this season with a 10-strikeout
performance (Dominic Moreno - 11, Trey Masek - 12).
Utah
Valley starting pitcher Adam Gunn (1-3) took the loss allowing six runs
(5 ER) on seven hits with two strikeouts and two walks.
Tech
manufactured runs all game while plating a run in the second and third
innings, four in the fourth and a run in the sixth and two in the
seventh.
The
Red Raiders' first two runs came on groundouts to second baseman Willie
Pratt, as catcher Mason Randolph drove in the first run of the game and
second baseman
Bryant Burleson gave Tech a 2-0 lead in the third with another RBI
groundout.
Tech's
big inning came in the fourth when it sent eight batters to the plate
and scored four runs off three base hits and also collected a walk and a
hit-by-pitch
- both of which started the inning and came around to score.
Shortstop
Tim Proudfoot drove in two runs in the fourth with a two-run double to
left field and then junior third baseman Jake Barrios doubled to left
field while
scoring Proudfoot. Yet another RBI groundout to second base - this time
by center fielder Brett Bell - gave Tech a 6-0 lead and its fourth run
of the frame.
Texas
Tech also tallied a season-high five stolen bases and matched a
season-high with nine walks against Wolverines pitching staff that
included four pitchers on
Tuesday evening.
Freshman
Jarrard Poteete went 3-for-3 with three runs scored and two walks while
reaching base safely in all five plate appearances. Proudfoot went
2-for-4 with two
runs, a stolen base and two RBI while Bell went 2-for-5 with a run
scored, two stolen bases and two RBI.
Utah Valley shortstop Kai Hatch finished with half of the Wolverines base hits going 2-for-4 with an RBI.
Tech
and Utah Valley will complete their midweek series on Wednesday, March
13 with a 6:30 p.m. first pitch at Dan Law Field at Rip Griffin Park.
