After a more
than poor showing on Friday night getting shutout by Missouri, the Red Raiders
returned to the field on Saturday and seemed to be reenergized and played like
it.
Texas Tech came out and was able to put together some timely hits, execute some
big defensive plays and executed on the mound in a 4-3 win at Dan Law Field at
Rip Griffin Park.
“It was huge,” Tech head coach Dan Spencer said. “Especially the way it kind of
unraveled there. We got the four quick runs and then we made a couple of mistakes,
so they got back in the game and we didn’t let it cost us the game. We had a
lot of guys come out of the bullpen and throw well, and I’m really proud of
them. It was a team win, we had a lot of good performances on the mound and
early in the game offensively.”
The Red Raiders (24-22, 4-13 in Big 12 Conference play) were able to come out
and do something they have not been able to do on Friday – jump out to an
early lead.
Tech was able to draw first blood figuring out Missouri starter Blake Holovach (5-3) early as he only lasted one and one-third
innings giving up four runs, which would be all Tech needed with their ace on
the mound.
Redshirt sophomore Duke von Schamann (6-3), who was named to the National
Pitcher of the Year Watch list earlier this week, came out and proved his
placement on the list.
von Schamann, despite being able to work well through
the first few innings, started to struggle as the game carried on with him
tying his season-high with four walks in the game.
In the sixth inning after getting the first two outs and walking Andreas Plackis to load the bases, von Schamann threw a curveball
and then pulled himself out of the game.
It was later announced that he had strained his bicep.
“I think I was getting behind in the counts,” von Schamann said. “I should have
been throwing more first pitch strikes, my arm felt good pretty much the whole
game. It wasn’t bothering me at all until I threw one curveball a little too
hard, I think. That’s why I came out.”
After von Schamann came out, the game was handed over to the pen and the
combination of four pitchers shut down the Tigers allowing only one run in
three innings of work on just two hits.
Shane Broyles and Trey Masek came in and carried the majority of the load and
despite the circumstances that Broyles had to come in the game under, Tech
center fielder Barrett Barnes, who finished the game going 2-for-4, said it’s
actually the way he thought it would work out.
“I think actually if you were to draw it up, that is how you would draw it up,”
he said. “You would throw Duke, then Shane (Broyles) and then (Trey) Masek
would finish it. That’s what we did today. Like I said, we got some timely hits
early, we played good defense and got a great pitching performance.”
Masek, who was originally slated to be the Sunday starter, came in the game in
the ninth inning and slammed the door on Missouri.
It marked only the second save of the season for Masek and secured just the
fourth conference win for the Red Raiders.
“It’s huge,” he said. “Score aside from last night, a loss is a loss. To come
out and even this series, especially since wins have been scarce so far in
conference this year and to come out and get this win, it was really big for
us.”
Now the next challenge that sits in front of the Red Raiders is actually coming
out on Sunday and winning a Big 12 series.
Tech has yet, through six Big 12 series this season, to actually clinch a
series. The Red Raiders have scattered their wins, but have not been able to
put together enough in a weekend to get a series win.
With an opportunity to do just that, Barnes said they just have to come out and
take care of business.
“It’s huge, I mean we really need to win a Big 12 series, there’s no other way
to put it,” he said. “We got to come out tomorrow and we’ve got to win that
game, there’s no if, ands or buts about it. That’s a game that has to be won,
we want to go do things that we planned to do at the beginning of the year we
got to get in that Big 12 tournament.
“So got to come out and win these last few series and get your foot in the
door.”
The Red Raiders will go for their first Big 12 series win of the season on
Sunday with first pitch set for 1 p.m. in the series finale against Missouri at
Dan Law Field at Rip Griffin Park.