Texas Tech University Athletics
Texas Tech Tops Oklahoma State 4-3
June 21, 1999 | Baseball
May 14, 1999
LUBBOCK, Texas - Texas Tech used a combined seven-hitter, outstanding defense and a 3-5 night from Marco Cunningham to win a 4-3 decision Friday against Oklahoma State before a season-high 4,838 fans at Dan Law Field. Texas Tech improves to 40-11 on the season and 18-6 in the Big 12 while Oklahoma State falls to 38-15 and 16-9.
Centefielder Marco Cunningham sparked the Texas Tech offense with a 3-5, three-RBI day. With Texas Tech trailing 2-1 in the fourth inning, Cunningham drove in two RBI with a two-out single. He also added the game winning RBI in the sixth on an RBI single to centerfield. That hit drove home Scott Holzhauer from third base and put Tech up 4-2.
The Red Raiders used a seven-hit, five strikeout and three earned run performance from starter Shane Wright. Wright went 7 1/3 innings and raised his record to 9-3 on the season. He gave way to Brandon Roberson with one out in the eighth inning. Roberson got Oklahoma State pinch hitter Carlos Gautreaux to ground into a double play to end the inning.
But it was defense that saved Texas Tech's lead in the ninth. Roberson entered the ninth with a 4-3 lead and got Ryan Budde to groundout to second. Pinch hitter Toby Rhodes hit a deep fly ball to leftfield but Texas Tech's Ryan Ruiz ran head first into the wall and held on to the ball for the second out. Kevin Lucas grounded out to second base as David O'Keeffe scooped up an errant throw for Roberson's 10th save of the season. Roberson is 10-11 in save opportunities this season.
Oklahoma State went up 1-0 in the second on a Jay McCullough solo home run. The Cowboys added a run in the fourth on a Trevor Leu groundout RBI and inched closer in the eighth on Lamont Matthews' RBI double.
Cowboy lefthanded starter Matt Smith was brilliant in striking out 13 Red Raider batters in 6 2/3 innings. He allowed 10 hits and four runs while reliever Dale Pearson went the final 1 1/3 innings.
All America catcher Josh Bard added a 2-3, one RBI performance for Texas Tech.
TEXAS TECH 4 OKLAHOMA STATE 3
Oklahoma State (16-9, 38-15) 010 100 010 - 3 7 2 Texas Tech (18-6, 40-11) 001 201 00x - 4 10 1
OSU: M. Smith and Pearson (7) and Budde. TTU: Wright and Roberson (8) and Bard.
WP: Wright 9-3. LP: Smith 9-3. Save: Roberson (10).
Doubles: OSU- Gasparino (17), Matthews (12); TTU- Cunningham (14), Bard (26). Triples: None. Home Runs: OSU- McCullough (9).
Time: 2:40. Att: 4838.
