Texas Tech University Athletics
Texas Tech Athletics
Missouri
Missouri Clinches Series With 9-5 Win Over Tech
April 25, 2009 | Baseball
April 25, 2009
COLUMBIA, Mo. - Jeremy Mayo hit two home runs and drove in three but the Red Raiders could never recover from an early 7-0 deficit as Missouri clinched this series with a 9-5 win over Texas Tech on Saturday afternoon in front of 1,506 fans at Taylor Stadium.
The loss drops Texas Tech to 20-26 overall and to 9-11 in Big 12 Conference play while Missouri improves to 23-22 and to 10-10 in the league.
Missouri center fielder Greg Folgia picked up right where he left off on Friday night as he led off the bottom of the second with a solo home run to straight-away center field. The home run was his eighth of the year and his sixth RBI of this series. Trevor Coleman and Kyle Mach followed up the home run with a pair of singles and then AJ Ramos walked the next two batters to give Missouri a 2-0 lead. Things turned ugly from there as the Tigers pounded out four more runs, including a two-RBI single from Aaron Senne to build a 6-0 lead.
Freshman designated hitter Scott LeJeune broke Scooter Hicks no-hit bid in the top of the fifth with a one-out double to the gap in left-center. Prior to LeJeune's double, Hicks had retired the first 13 batters of the game. Justin Berry drew a two-out walk in the inning and then Michael Reed put Tech on the board with a bases-clearing, two-RBI double to right field. Sophomore catcher Jeremy Mayo got the Red Raiders back into the ball game in the next at-bat when he blasted a two-run home run into the Missouri bullpen in left field. The home run was his 10th of the season and pulled the Red Raiders within three (7-4).
Missouri answered the Tech outburst in the fifth with single runs in its half of the fifth and sixth innings to take a 9-4 lead.
Mayo picked up his first career two home run game as he led off the eighth with a solo dinger to left. He became the second player this season to have two home runs in a game joining Chris Richburg who did so against Baylor on March 22. The home run cut the Missouri lead to 9-5.
AJ Ramos (4-4) took the loss for the Red Raiders as he allowed all nine Missouri runs on nine hits and three walks while striking out eight. Ryan Clubb (2-2) earned the win in relief for Missouri.
Texas Tech will try and salvage the final game of this series tomorrow afternoon when the two teams meet for a 1 p.m. first pitch at Taylor Stadium. Chad Bettis will get the start for the Red Raiders while Missouri will counter with Nick Tepesch.
