Texas Tech University Athletics
Texas Tech Athletics
.png&width=60&height=60&type=webp)
Kansas
Tech Secures Series Win By Dropping Kansas 5-2
April 14, 2002 | Baseball
April 14, 2002
LAWRENCE, Kan. - The Texas Tech pitching staff held Kansas to two runs on five hits and Jake Brown went 2-for-4 win two RBI to lead the Red Raiders to a 5-2 win over the Jayhawks on Sunday afternoon securing the series win 2-1.
With the win, Texas Tech improves to 27-16 overall and 10-11 in the Big 12 while Kansas falls to 16-17 and 3-12 in the league.
Junior center fielder Jon Slack put the Red Raiders on the board in the first at-bat of the game as he hit a home run over the left center field wall. The home run was his sixth of the season and the first in over a month as he last went yard against Sam Houston State on March 13.
Tech's 1-0 lead wouldn't last through the inning as senior right-hander Nathan Fouts surrendered a triple to first baseman Casey Spanish and Ryan Baty brought him home on an RBI groundout to second base, tying the score at 1-1.
Nathan Fouts, who had retired 10-straight batters after giving up the triple to Casey Spanish in the first, was forced to leave the game when Ryan Klocksien hit a hard grounder back to the mound that ricocheted off his lower right leg. The game was delayed for several minutes to see if Fouts could return but the pain was too great and Tech Head Coach Larry Hays was forced to bring in Dusty Buck out of the bullpen. Buck struckout designated hitter Kevin Wheeler to end the inning.
Senior shortstop Gera Alvarez jump-started a three-run sixth inning when he reached safely on a throwing error by Kansas shortstop Brandon Shepard. Senior designated hitter Nick Blankenship sent Alvarez to third when he laced a double over the head of the Kansas leftfielder to put runners on first and second with just one out. Willie Durazo brought Alvarez and Blankenship home with a two-RBI single down the first base line. Jake Brown plated the final run of the inning when he got an RBI single into shallow center field that sent home Durazo.
Kansas plated a single run in the bottom of the sixth on a two-out throwing error by Tech second baseman Joel Buchenauer that sent home Casey Spanish from second. Spanish drew a one-out single earlier in the inning to set up the score.
Texas Tech took a 5-2 lead in the top of the seventh when Scooter Jordan got a one-out double to left field and Gera Alvarez singled him home with line drive up the middle. Alvarez' single extended his current hitting streak to 24 games.
Sophomore Dusty Buck (4-1) picked up the win for Texas Tech as he allowed no earned runs on the just three hits in four innings of work. Steve Rowe notched his fifth save of the season by striking out two of the final three batters in the bottom of the ninth. Jake Wright pitched a complete game loss after giving up three earned runs on 10 hits.
Texas Tech returns Dan Law Field on Tuesday night where the Red Raiders will begin a 13-game homestand to conclude the 2002 regular season. Tech will play host to the New Mexico Lobos at 7 p.m.
