Texas Tech University Athletics
Texas Tech Athletics
TCU
Red Raiders Outlast TCU 10-9
February 20, 2002 | Baseball
Feb. 20, 2002
FORT WORTH, Texas - Texas Tech was able to overcome a five-run bottom of the eighth rally by TCU to hang on and win 10-9 over the TCU Horned Frogs on Wednesday at the TCU Diamond in Fort Worth, Texas.
With the win, Texas Tech improves to 10-4 overall and earned the two-game sweep of TCU. Texas Tech is also riding a seven-game win streak against the Horned Frogs and has won all four meetings this season. TCU fell to 3-6 and has now lost three one-run games to the Red Raiders this year.
Texas Tech scored the first run of the game in the top of the first inning when Jon Slack scored on a fielder's choice by Willie Durazo to give the Red Raiders an early 1-0 lead. Tech tacked on two more runs in the top of the second thanks to a solo home run by senior third baseman Nick Blankenship and an RBI single by Bryon Smith. Blankenship's home run was sixth of the season and the 16th of his career.
The Red Raiders took control of the game in the top of the fourth inning scoring three runs on three hits and three walks. Senior shortstop Gera Alvarez hit a two-run home run over the center field fence in the top of the fifth to give Tech an 8-0 lead into the bottom of the fifth.
TCU scored it first run of the game in the bottom of the fourth when Chris Meeks picked up just the third hit of the game for TCU, a ground ball to center field that plated Levi Robinson who was walked by Tech starter Dusty Buck.
Senior catcher Willie Durazo picked up his third RBI of the game in the top of the sixth when he hit a double to center field plating Brent Fossum who reached base on a walk. With two outs in the inning, Nick Blankenship hit a routine fly ball out to center field but the ball fell out of Marshall Wilson's glove allowing Blankenship to reach second and Durazo to score giving Tech a 10-1 lead.
Dusty Buck was replaced J.D. Seger in the bottom of the sixth inning after pitching 5.0 solid innings allowing just two runs on three hits. TCU took advantage of the pitching change and a key Red Raider error by second baseman Joel Buchenauer as the Frogs scored three runs on two hits and a hit-by-pitch to bring the Frogs to within six, 10-4.
TCU second baseman Will Lewis got the Frogs back into the game in the bottom of the eight when he hit a three-run home run over the left field wall to pull the Frogs within three at 10-7. J.J. Newman came in to relieve J.D. Seger after the home run and Newman was able to retire the next two batters before surrendering a two-run home run by Mike Settle that got TCU within one. Newman was able to retire Greg Bratton with a groundout back to the mound to get the Red Raiders out of the inning.
J.J. Newman picked up his first save of the season as he retired the final three batters o the game on two strikeouts and a groundout. Dusty Buck (1-0) was the winning pitcher for Texas Tech while Tim Collinsworth (0-1) suffered his first loss of the season for TCU.
Texas Tech will return to the friendly confines of Dan Law Field this weekend for a three-game set with the Seton Hall Pirates out of the Big East Conference. The first pitch for the series will be at 3 p.m. on Friday.
