Texas Tech University Athletics
Texas Tech Athletics
13-7
New Mexico
13-7
No. 23 Texas Tech Drops New Mexico, 14-10
March 22, 2016 | Baseball
March 22, 2016
The Red Raiders (13-7) plated at least one run in six of eight innings en route to improving to 4-1 in midweek games this season. Tech has also won five of its last six contests heading into its Big 12 home opener Thursday night against Oklahoma.
Tech benefited from a successful day from the top of the lineup as Stephen Smith, Zach Davis, Tanner Gardner, Cory Raley and Eric Gutierrez combined to hit 12-for-18 overall with 11 RBI and 11 runs scored.
Smith led the group, finishing 4-for-5 overall with a RBI single in the second inning that gave the Red Raiders an early 2-0 lead. It was the second-straight game with four hits for Smith as the junior also notched a similar 4-for-5 performance this past Sunday at Baylor.
Davis consistently found his way on base as well, going 3-for-4 overall with a career-high four runs scored and four stolen bases. His four stolen bases marked the most for a Red Raider since Willie Rueda also swiped four bags on March 4, 2008, against Central Arkansas.
Tech totaled six stolen bases altogether, its most since the Red Raiders had seven against Alabama A&M on March 13, 2012.
New Mexico (13-7) erased an early two-run deficit with a five spot in the third inning and then another four runs in the fifth to take its only brief leads of the game. The Lobos benefited from a pair of home runs from Carl Stajduhar, who connected on a three-run blast in the third and a two-run shot in the fifth.
📽: @TexasTechTV highlights from today's 14-10 victory over New Mexico. #WreckEmhttps://t.co/ZoMAoQ5ijQ
-- Texas Tech Baseball (@TTU_Baseball) March 23, 2016
Ryan Long added his first of two RBI with a run-scoring ground out later in the third. Matt Bernstein, who connected on his first career hit with a two-out double that set up Smith in the second, capped the inning with a sacrifice fly that easily scored Orlando Garcia.
Tech also added two runs in the fifth off back-to-back RBI singles from both Davis and Gardner before breaking the game open on a three-run double from Gutierrez in the seventh. The double was the 50th of Gutierrez' career as he finished 1-for-1 overall with three walks and two hit-by-pitches.
Gardner, meanwhile, was 2-for-4 at the plate, marking his fifth multi-hit game in Tech's last six contests. It was his team-leading 10th multi-hit game already this season.
Gutierrez' double gave Tech a five-run lead which was more than enough for Ryan Shetter (2-0), who earned the win after tossing 3.1 shutout innings out of the bullpen. Shetter, who entered with Tech trailing 9-8 in the fifth, allowed just two hits before Ryan Moseley came on to pitch the ninth.
Christian Tripp (0-1) suffered the loss for the Lobos as he allowed two runs (one earned) off four hits in his 2.1 innings of relief. He replaced New Mexico starter James Harrington after he surrendered eight runs (five earned) off eight hits in just 2.1 innings.
The Red Raiders open their three-game series against Oklahoma with a 6:30 p.m. first pitch Thursday evening. The series opener will be carried live on FOX Sports Southwest Plus.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Shetter, Ryan (2-0)
L: TRIPP, Chris (0-1)
Batting:
2B: DeVITO, Chri 1 ; MANG, Jared 1
HR: STAJDUHAR, C 2 ; ZOELLNER, Ja 1
RBI: HOLLEY, Jare 1 ; DeVITO, Chri 2 ; STAJDUHAR, C 5 ; ZOELLNER, Ja 1
SH: GONZALEZ, Lu 1
Base Running:
RUNS: HOLLEY, Jare 2 ; DeVITO, Chri 2 ; WESTERMAN, J 1 ; STAJDUHAR, C 2 ; ZOELLNER, Ja 1 ; GRAHAM, Scot 1 ; BOWERS, Dalt 1
SB: HOLLEY, Jare 1
CS: MANG, Jared 1
HBP: STAJDUHAR, C 1 ; WEBER, Reece 1 ; GRAHAM, Scot 1 ; BOWERS, Dalt 1
Batting:
2B: Smith, Stephen 2 ; Gardner, Tanner 1 ; Gutierrez, Eric 1 ; Davis, Michael 1 ; Bernstein, Matt 1
HR: Raley, Cory 1
RBI: Smith, Stephen 1 ; Davis, Zach 2 ; Gardner, Tanner 2 ; Raley, Cory 3 ; Gutierrez, Eric 3 ; Long, Ryan 2 ; Bernstein, Matt 1
SF: Long, Ryan 1 ; Bernstein, Matt 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Smith, Stephen 1 ; Davis, Zach 4 ; Gardner, Tanner 2 ; Raley, Cory 2 ; Gutierrez, Eric 2 ; Davis, Michael 1 ; Garcia, Orlando 1 ; Bernstein, Matt 1
SB: Davis, Zach 4 ; Raley, Cory 1 ; Gutierrez, Eric 1
HBP: Gutierrez, Eric 2 ; Garcia, Orlando 1
PO: Smith, Stephen 1
