Texas Tech University Athletics
Texas Tech Athletics
Nebraska
Huskers Complete The Series Sweep With 8-7 Win
May 23, 2010 | Baseball
May 23, 2010
LINCOLN, Neb. - Nebraska broke open a tie game in the bottom of the eighth with back-to-back home runs that lifted the Huskers to an 8-7 win and a series sweep of Texas Tech on Sunday afternoon at Haymarket Park.
The loss dropped Tech to 13-14 in Big 12 play and to 27-27 overall while Nebraska ends its season with a 10-17 mark in league play and at 27-27 overall.
The Red Raiders plated one run in the top of the ninth to make the score 8-7 in favor of the Huskers and had the bases loaded with two outs. Nebraska went to its bullpen for left-hander Jordan Roualdes and he struckout Michael Reed on three straight pitches to end the game.
With the game tied at 6-6 in the bottom of the eighth, the Huskers got back-to-back home runs from Josh Scheffert and Cody Asche to take a two-run lead. The home runs were No.5 and No. 10 for Scheffert and Asche respectively.
Texas Tech took its first lead of the weekend in the top half of the second inning as Michael Reed led off the frame with a single and Scott LeJeune followed with a double to give the Red Raiders runners at second and third. The single by Reed was his first of the series and he ended up scoring the first run of the day on a sacrifice fly by catcher Kevin Whitehead. Junior third baseman Nick Popescu drove in the second run with a deep fly ball to center field that allowed LeJeune to tag up and score easily on the sacrifice.
Back-to-back singles by the bottom half of the Nebraska order and a fielding error by Tech center fielder Taylor Ashby led to a Husker run in the bottom of the third. Cade Thompson, who led off the inning with a single, ended up scoring on the next play when Cory Burleson singled and Ashby wasn't able to get a handle on the ball and the Huskers were able to cut the Tech lead to 2-1.
Whitehead pushed the Red Raider lead back to two runs in the top of the fourth when he delivered an RBI single through the right side of the infield with runners at the corners. Barnes led off the frame with a double and ended up scoring on Whitehead's double.
In the fifth, another leadoff double eventually led to another run for the Red Raiders. Senior right fielder Bonham Hough got Tech going with a double to left and following a sacrifice bunt by Ashby, freshman second baseman Jamodrick McGruder drove him home with a sacrifice fly to right. Hough's run gave the Red Raiders a 4-1 lead.
Tech's lead dwindled to one run in the bottom of the sixth as the Huskers mounted a two-run, two out rally that left the Red Raiders with a 4-3 lead. DJ Belfonte, who was hit with one out, ended up scoring on a two-out double by Josh Scheffert . Cody Asche kept the rally alive with an RBI single to deep right field that allowed Scheffert to score easily from second.
A two-run home run by McGruder in the top of the seventh got the two runs back for the Red Raiders as they pushed their lead to 6-3. McGruder's home run was his seventh of the season and scored Hough who led off the frame with a single to center.
Nebraska's Adam Bailey completed a three-run rally for the Huskers in the bottom of the seventh when he dropped a two-RBI single into right field that tied the game at 6-6.
Bobby Doran (5-3) was charged with the loss for Texas Tech after giving up seven runs on 10 hits over seven innings of work. Ryan Hander was credited with the win for Nebraska and improved to 1-0 while Roualdes earned his second save.
Texas Tech will now head to Oklahoma City for the 2010 Phillips 66 Big 12 Conference Championship being held at Bricktown Ballpark, May 26-30. Game times will be announced later this evening.
