Ramos Pitches Tech to a Shutout of Cal St. Northridge

LUBBOCK, Texas - Sophomore right-hander AJ Ramos pitched seven shutout innings with a career-high 10 strikeouts and reliever Travis Young completed the shutout as Texas Tech defeated Cal State Northridge 5-0 on Friday evening at Dan Law Field. The win gives Texas Tech an 11-4 record on the season while Cal State Northridge dropped to 10-8. The night belonged entirely to AJ Ramos (4-1) as the Lubbock Estacado product held the Matador offense to just five hits over seven frames and fanned a career-high 10 batters. Ramos has now gone seven-plus innings in his last three starts and leads the staff with 28 1/3 innings pitched. The Red Raider offense had problems of its own from Northridge starter Joe Rocchio who led off the game with four shutout innings before Tech was finally able to get on the scoreboard in the fifth. James Leverton plated the only run Tech would need in the inning when he laced an RBI single to left field that scored Taylor Ashby, who reached on a leadoff error. Leverton led the Tech offense as he collected three of the team`s seven hits and finished the night with a season-high three RBI. Texas Tech pushed its lead to 4-0 in the bottom of the sixth with a pair of runs, including another RBI single from Leverton. Leverton`s third RBI of the game gave Tech a 5-0 lead in the bottom of the eighth, as he plated Drew Evans with a sacrifice fly to center field. Joe Rocchio was charged with the loss for Cal State Northridge as he surrendered four runs on five hits and struckout four over 5 1/3 innings. Only two of the runs given up by the Matadors were earned as third baseman Richard Cates committed three errors. Texas Tech will go for the series win on Saturday afternoon as the Red Raiders and Matadors will get underway with a 2 p.m. first pitch. (texas tech release)