Texas Tech University Athletics
Texas Tech Athletics
Baylor
Red Raiders Edge Baylor In The Ninth 4-3
May 21, 2004 | Baseball
May 21, 2004
LUBBOCK, Texas - Cody Fuller's RBI single in the bottom of the ninth was part of a three-RBI day for the junior center fielder as No. 25 Texas Tech came away with a 4-3 win over the Baylor Bears on Friday evening in front of 3,489 fans at Dan Law Field.
Texas Tech improves to 36-17 overall and to 15-9 in the Big 12 and is now tied with Oklahoma State for third place in the league standings. Missouri defeated Oklahoma State 9-5 on Friday night to drop the Cowboys to 15-9 in conference play. Baylor falls to 27-27 on the year and to 13-10 in the Big 12.
Texas Tech struck first in the bottom of the third inning when Cody Fuller doubled to right-center allowing Cooper Fouts to score from second. Baylor starter Trey Taylor put Fouts on base when he hit him on the shoulder and then moved to second on a walk by first baseman Josh Brady.
Baylor's Michael Griffin tied the game in the top of the fifth when he hit a solo home run over the fence in left field. Griffin's home run was his 11th of the year and was Baylor's first hit of the game off of Tech hurler Steven Thomas.
The Red Raiders scored single runs in the fifth and sixth innings to regain the lead at 3-1. Fuller picked up an RBI groundout in the fifth and Jose Delgado scored Michael Mask with a sacrifice fly in the sixth.
The Tech coaching staff elected to bring out reliever Corey Gerstner in the top of the eighth to follow up a stellar effort by Thomas. Thomas allowed just three hits and one earned run and struckout three in seven innings of work. Gerstner struckout Zach Dillon in the Bear's first at-bat but then walked Mike Pankratz and gave up a single to Paul Witt, and Baylor quickly had two runners on with just one out. Chase Gerdes tied the game with a double to right-center and thus chased Gerstner from the game. Junior right-hander John Milton entered the game and retired the next to batters to end the inning.
After holding the bears scoreless in the top of the ninth, Delgado reached in the leadoff at-bat with a bunt single down the third base line. Cooper Fouts moved Delgado to second with a bunt sacrifice and then Josh Brady reached on a bloop single that bounced into shallow center field. Brady's single moved Delgado to third base and he quickly stole second on reliever Abe Woody's first offering to Fuller, helping to avoid a double play. For the second Big 12 game in a row, Cody Fuller came up big as he delivered an RBI single through the right side to give Tech the 4-3 win.
Junior right-hander John Milton earned the win for Texas Tech and improved to 4-1 on the year while Ryan LaMotta suffered the loss for Baylor and fell to 2-5.
Texas Tech and Baylor will play the second game of the three-game series on Saturday afternoon at Dan Law Field. First pitch is set for 2 p.m.
