Tech Baseball Tops UTSA, 16-6
By: David Collier/Texas Tech
Updated: February 25, 2008
Junior left-hander Cory Large
pitched five perfect innings and the Red Raider offense plated 10 runs in the
first inning as Texas Tech cruised to a 16-6 win over UTSA on Monday afternoon
in the final game of the UTSA Baseball Classic at Wolff
Stadium.
The win moves Texas Tech to 2-2 on
the season while UTSA falls to 2-2. The
Red Raiders now lead the all-time series with the Roadrunners
4-0.
Texas Tech jumped on UTSA right out
of the gate as junior first baseman Doug Thennis delivered the first offering
from Kris Ruepke over the left field wall for what was his first home run of the
season. The rest of the lineup followed
Thennis’ lead as Tech pounded out eight hits in the inning and drew four
walks. Sophomore second baseman and
two-hole hitter Joey Kenworthy was the only Red Raider to not get an RBI in the
frame but he did reach both times he came to bat (single and a walk). Junior right fielder Roger Kieschnick put the
finishing touches on the 10-run outburst as he blasted a two-run triple to the
gap in right center field. The triple
was his second of this tournament.
Tech tacked on two more runs in the
top of the second to take a 12-0 lead.
Sophomore shortstop Chris Hall laced an RBI double down the left field
line while Thennis added his second RBI of the game with a single to
left.
After the Red Raiders scored a single
run in the third, they tacked on two more in the top of the sixth to grab a 15-0
lead. Kieschnick plated the first run of
the frame with a RBI fielder’s choice while third baseman Jason Seefeld drove in
the second with an RBI single to left.
Cory Large’s attempt at perfection
was dashed in the bottom half of the sixth as he allowed his first base runner
of the game when he hit Lance Brown on a 3-2 pitch. His attempt at a no-hitter was taken away in
the next at-bat as he gave up a single to lead off hitter James Keithley. The Roadrunners went on to plate three runs
in the inning, all with tow outs, thanks to a pair of back-to-back doubles by
Tim Palincsar and Michael Rockett. Large
(1-0) picked up the win after logging six innings of work, allowing three runs
and struck out four.
UTSA’s Kris Ruepke (0-1) was tagged
with the loss after allowing seven runs on six hits and never recording an out
in the first inning.
Texas Tech returns to action on
Wednesday afternoon as the Red Raiders travel to
