Fourth inning the difference in mid-week loss to No. 11 Texas Tech
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – A nine-run fourth inning by No. 11-ranked Texas Tech proved to be the difference in Tuesday night’s offensively-charged game as the Red Raiders went on to win 15-6 over the University of New Mexico out at Santa Ana Star Field.
Prior to that big inning for Texas Tech, the Red Raiders (19-7) had already powered their way to a 3-1 lead through the first three innings. All three of the runs scored over that stretch came off the bat of designated hitter Cole Stilwell as he hit a solo home run in the first and a two-run homer in the third.
In between the two homers by Stilwell, the Lobos (14-14) knotted the game at one-all in the bottom of the second inning on an aggressive and well-executed double steal that saw Brayden Merritt steal second and Zack Doak swipe home.
The aforementioned fourth inning for the Red Raiders saw them send 12 batters to the plate with nine coming across to score to break the game open and make it 12-1, Texas Tech.
With more than half of the game left to be played, the Lobos battled back and plated two runs of their own in the bottom of the fourth inning and matched that in the bottom of the fifth to make it a 12-5 game.
The two runs in the fourth scored on a two-RBI single through the right side off the bat of Reese O’Farrell. In the fifth, the first run to score for the Lobos was on a single through the right side off the bat of Jared Mang. On the single, Hayden Schilling, who was on first, scored on a throwing error by the Red Raider right fielder. The second run was Mang coming around to score on a single dropped down the right field line off the bat of Jeff Deimling.
In the sixth, Texas Tech scored three more runs to reach their final total to 15. The three runs that scored, however, came on a tough luck play that went against the Lobos with the bases loaded and two outs. On that play, the Red Raiders’ Braxton Fulford hit a high fly ball to the Bermuda Triangle near the right field line where the ball was able to find turf, allowing the bases to clear and make it a 15-5 game.
The Lobos would push across one more run in the game as Justin Watari laced a double down the left field line in the bottom of the eighth to score Nick Atkins, who reached earlier in the inning on a hit-by-pitch.
In what was a game dominated by offense, the Lobos had bright spot emerge on the mound as freshman left-hander Matt Foster pitched the final 3.1 innings of the game and held the Red Raiders scoreless over that time while scattering three hits, walking one and striking out one as well.
The Lobos and Red Raiders will be back in action on Wednesday afternoon to conclude their two-game mid-week series. First-pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. out at Santa Ana Star Field.