Texas Tech University Athletics
Texas Tech Athletics
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
Buchenauer Paces Tech To 14-7 Win Over Islanders
April 19, 2002 | Baseball
April 19, 2002
LUBBOCK, Texas - Junior second baseman Joel Buchenauer went 4-for-5 with two RBI and two runs scored to lead the Texas Tech Red Raiders to a 14-7 win over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Friday night at Dan Law Field.
With the win, Texas Tech improves to 29-16 on the season while Texas A&M-Corpus Christi falls to 16-26.
Junior outfielder Scooter Jordan led off the first inning with a single to left field and then plated Tech's first run of the inning when he scored on a wild pitch by Islander starter Jimmy Hamon. Junior right fielder Travis McElroy gave Tech a 3-0 lead when he placed a fastball over the right field wall to give him his third home run of the season. Senior designated hitter Nick Blankenship pushed Tech's lead to 4-0 when he slugged a solo home run over the left field wall in the next at-bat to give Tech back-to-back home runs for the first time this season.
The Islanders got on the board in the top of the second when Angel Velazquez and Blair Borque accomplished the same feat that Tech did in the first when they hit back-to-back home runs to bring the score to 4-2.
Senior shortstop Gera Alvarez gave Tech a 6-2 lead in the bottom of the second when he laced a double to center field. The double extended Alvarez' hit streak to 26 games. The Red Raiders got three more runs in the fourth and fifth inning to push the lead to 9-2.
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi mounted a serious comeback in the top of the seventh as the Islanders cranked out five runs on six hits to cut the Tech lead to 10-7. Tech starter Steve Gooch was replaced in the inning by Adrian Soto after he surrendered four hits and a walk. Soto, however, was not the answer for Tech as he gave up two more runs on a single and a double. Senior right hander J.J. Newman got Tech out of the inning as he struckout Jimmy Fly to end the inning.
Junior Joel Buchenauer picked up his third hit of the game in the bottom of the seventh when he drove a triple to deep right field plating two Tech runs to push the lead to 12-7. Scooter Jordan drove an RBI single to right center field and Madison Edwards scored on a throwing error by Islander catcher Jimmy Fly to put the Red Raiders ahead 14-7.
Steve Gooch (5-2) picked up his fifth win of the season for the Red Raiders as he pitched 6 2/3 innings allowing 10 hits and seven earned runs. Jimmy Hamon (5-6) suffered the loss after giving up eight hits and eight earned runs in four innings.
Texas Tech and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi will play the second game of a three-game set tomorrow afternoon. Game time is set for 2 p.m. at Dan Law Field.
