Texas Tech University Athletics
Texas Tech Athletics
Gonzaga
Ramos Puts Brakes On Tech Losing Skid
March 07, 2009 | Baseball
March 7, 2009
PALM SPRINGS, Calif. - After three shutout performances, it's safe to say AJ Ramos is back.
Ramos hurled six shutout innings with nine strikeouts while Jeremy Mayo and Joey Kenworthy added two RBIs each to help Texas Tech snap its six-game losing skid with a commanding 7-1 win over Gonzaga on Saturday morning in the Palm Springs Invitational.
The win improves Tech's record to 6-7 on the season while Gonzaga drops to 6-5.
Texas Tech finally broke its long scoreless streak in the bottom of the fourth when the Red Raiders got the bases loaded with no outs. A balk by Gonzaga left-hander Ryan Carpenter allowed leadoff hitter Michael Reed to score the first run of the game and gave Tech an early 1-0 lead. Carpenter regrouped and struckout the side to end a potential big rally for the Red Raiders.
Junior shortstop Joey Kenworthy wasn't going to let another prime opportunity pass the Red Raiders by again as he ripped a two-RBI double into left field that extended the Tech lead to 3-0. Kenworthy's double plated Jeremy Mayo who led off the inning with a single and Reed, who reached on a two-out walk. Freshman third baseman Justin Berry kept Tech rolling with an RBI base hit to right field that scored Kenworthy and built the Tech lead to 4-0.
Mayo's second hit of the game was his biggest as he blasted a two-run home run over the wall in left-center to give the Red Raiders a 6-0 lead in the bottom of the sixth inning. Mayo followed up junior right fielder Taylor Ashby who led off the frame with a single to right.
Tech's lead grew to 7-0 in the bottom of the seventh when Ashby found a hole in the right side of the infield and that allowed Kenworthy to score easily from third. Kenworthy reached on a leadoff single, his third hit of the game.
The day belonged to senior right-hander AJ Ramos who turned in arguably the most dominating performance of his Texas Tech career. Ramos logged six shutout innings (under a 75-pitch limit) and fanned nine Gonzaga hitters while allowing just three hits and no walks to improve to 2-0 on the season. Ryan Carpenter was charged with the loss for Gonzaga as he gave up four runs on four hits and struckout nine over five innings of work.
Texas Tech will try to wrap up its 11-day road trip with a win against the No. 24 Oregon State Beavers on Sunday morning. First pitch has been moved to 11:30 a.m. (CT) to accommodate travel arrangements for the Red Raiders.
