Red Raiders Drop 4-3 Series Finale Heartbreaker at TCU

FORT WORTH – Despite erasing an early 3-0 deficit and putting the first two runners on in the ninth, the Texas Tech Baseball program fell 4-3 Sunday to TCU at Lupton Stadium.

Down a run heading to the ninth, Texas Tech (26-11, 9-9 Big 12) got a lead-off double from Gavin Kash and a walk from Gage Harrelson to put a pair on with nobody out in the ninth, but a pair of well struck flyouts and a strikeout looking ended the game and secured the series win for TCU (22-12, 7-11 Big 12).

In the important rubber-match, Tech turned to freshman Mac Heuer who after retiring the leadoff batter walked two of the next three batters.

TCUs Luke Boyer took a 1-1 two-out offering from Heuer and drove it over the right field wall for a three-run home run that gave the Frogs a 3-0 lead.

Heuer settled down following the tough first inning and retired seven of the next eight batters he faced (including the final out of the first) allowing the Tech bats to sneak back into the game.

After an Owen Washburn RBI double plated a run in the second, Tech used a two-out double from Drew Woodcox to pull to within 3-2. After a 1-2-3 inning from Heuer in the third, the Red Raiders tied the game at three-all in the fourth when Tracer Lopez singled and TJ Pompey doubled with one out.

Following a pitching change, Kash hung tough against lefty Ben Hampton and ultimately plated the Red Raiders third run of the game on an RBI ground out to second.

Heuer saw a four-batter retired streak snapped in the home half of the fourth, when TCUs Fisher Ingersoll singled. Heuer rebounded to strike out the next batter, but Ingersoll successfully stole second placing the go-ahead run in scoring position.

The next TCU batter, Ryder Robinson, singled up the middle. On the play, Harrelson uncorked a throw that seemed to beat Ingersoll to the plate, but the ball fell out of Kevin Bazzell’s glove when the catcher tried to apply the tag on Ingersoll.

The run proved to be the game-winner, as the Horned Frogs received a combined five-and-two-thirds of shutout ball from their ‘pen.

The Red Raiders had multiple chances to tie the game despite the strong pitching from the Frogs, including in the sixth and seventh when the lead-off man reached on singles, but a popped-up bunt and a double play despite the runner being in motion helped TCU escape both frames.

UP NEXT:
The Red Raiders will continue their six-game road swing on Tuesday and Wednesday when they head to Fayetteville to face No. 1 Arkansas for a pair of nationally televised contests. Tuesday’s series opener is set for a 7 p.m. first pitch and will be televised on ESPN2, while the series finale is set for a 4 p.m. first pitch on SEC Network.

–TECH–

Release Provided By Andrew Stern Texas Tech Athletics