Texas Tech Athletics
UT-Pan American
Texas Tech Drops Doubleheader At UT-Pan American
March 13, 2000 | Baseball
March 13, 2000
Playing their fourth and fifth games in three days, the Texas Tech baseball team split a twi-night doubleheader at UT-Pan American on Monday. Tech dropped the first game 9-7 and lost the nightcap 4-3. The Red Raiders have lost four straight games are now 13-12 on the 2000 season.
The Red Raiders took the early lead in game one when Scott Holzhauer and Trey Lunsford scored on two wild pitches by Bronc pitcher Mike Cox. Holzhauer started the second inning with a double to left center and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt by Cory Sellars. Lunsford walked, moved to second on Eric McLamore's walk and moved to third on the wild pitch that scored Holzhauer.
UT-Pan American took a 3-2 lead in the third off Tech starter Aaron Tims. The Broncs scored three runs on two hits, two walks and one error by the Red Raiders in the bottom half of the inning.
In the top of the fourth, Texas Tech tied the game with on a sacrifice fly by Chaz Eiguren that scored Lunsford. Lunsford started the inning with an infield single. The Red Raiders loaded the bases after Eric McLamore was hit by a pitch and Marco Cunningham walked, but Texas Tech was able to score just one run as Shaun Larkin struck out, Eiguren flew out to score Lunsford and Mark Austry grounded out.
In the top of sixth, Tech broke the 3-3 tie as the Red Raiders sent eight batters to the plate and scored two runs on three hits. McLamore lead off the inning with a single to right field. After a Cunningham strikeout, McLamore moved to third on Larkin's single and scored on Austry's bases loaded single to right. Larkin came around to score the second run on a fielder's choice by Jason Rainey.
The Red Raiders extended the lead in the top of the eighth with a pair of runs off Bronc reliever Levi Frary. With two outs, Jason Rainey singled to center field. Rainey scored the sixth run of the game when Holzhauer's single went under UT-Pan Am right fielder Andy Wallace's glove. Holzhauer ended up on third as the ball rolled to the fence. He scored one batter later on a single to center by Cory Sellars.
Texas Tech couldn't hold the lead in the bottom half of the inning as the Broncs scored five runs off the Red Raiders bullpen. Dusty Buck started the eighth and allowed four of five batters to reach base before being relieved by Steve Rowe. Rowe entered the game with two runners on base and Tech leading, 7-6. The Broncs took the lead for good with a two-out single by Leo Salinas that scored Caleb Schmidt and Andy Wallace.
For the Red Raiders, Larkin went 2-4 with a run while Rainey was 2-5 with a run and one RBI. Buck sufferd his first loss of the season in his third appearance of the year. Starting pitcher Aaron Tims allowed four runs (three earned) on four hits, four walks and seven strikeouts over 6.2 innings in his first start of the season.
The Broncs started right where they left off in the first game as they jumped out to a 4-1 lead after three innings in game two. Tech scored the first run of the game as they did in game one, but UT-Pan American scored one in the first, two in the second and one in the fourth.
Texas Tech closed the gap to 4-3 in the fifth with two runs on four hits while chasing UT-Pan American starter Jason Thompson. Sellars led off the inning with a double and moved to third on a wild pitch by Thompson. After a Daron Bertillion fly out, Cunningham doubled down the left field line to score Sellars. One batter later, Larkin singled to center to score Cunningham and make the score 4-3.
After allowing a single to Eiguren in the fifth, Bronc reliever Scott Fowler held the Red Raiders hitless over the last two innings to preserve the win. Tech threatened in the top of the seventh as Cunningham reached on an error with two outs, but Fowler induced a ground out by Larkin to clinch the sweep for UT-Pan American.
Tech starter Josh Jones took the loss and is 0-3 on the season. He allowed four runs on five hits, four walks and four strikeouts in his first complete game of the season.
The final game of the three-game set will be Tuesday at noon. The Red Raiders will return to Dan Law Field this weekend when they host the Baylor Bears for a Big 12 three-game series.
