Texas Tech Athletics
41-16
Oklahoma
30-26-1
Oklahoma Eliminates No. 5 Texas Tech From Big 12 Championship
May 27, 2016 | Baseball
Oklahoma (30-26-1) recorded a season-high 17 hits in the victory which moves the Sooners into the Division One final Saturday against West Virginia. The Sooners will need to defeat the Mountaineers twice in order to advance to Sunday's title game.
The Red Raiders, meanwhile, end their run at the Big 12 Championship with back-to-back losses, marking just the fourth time this year where Tech (41-16) has dropped consecutive games. Tech previously opened the tournament with an 8-5 victory over Kansas State.
Tech appeared ready to extend its stay early on, scoring two runs in the opening frame thanks to a Michael Davis solo home run that was followed immediately after by a triple from Anthony Lyons. Lyons scored later in the inning during an extended pickoff attempt on Eric Gutierrez at first base.
The home run, which sailed over the left-field fence, was Davis' first of the season and third of his career. Davis, who also homered at the Big 12 Championship a year ago, recorded his second multi-hit game of the tournament, finishing 2-for-4 overall with a single to lead off the third inning.
Lyons added a similar strong day at the plate, going 3-for-3 thanks to a pair of singles in the third and fourth innings. His single in the fourth scored a run as Lyons beat out a slow chopper down the first base line, allowing Kholeton Sanchez to scamper home all the way from second base.
It was the first multi-hit performance of the season for Lyons, who had not previously recorded three or more hits in a game since finishing with a career-high five hits on May 6, 2014, at Dallas Baptist.
The Red Raider pitching staff had no answer for an Oklahoma offense that featured eight players with a multi-hit game and all nine starters with at least one hit. The Sooners erased a one-run deficit with six runs in the third and then plated five runs in the fourth and four more in the fifth.
Dylan Grove (3-1) picked up the win for the Sooners in a complete-game effort as he surrendered four runs off seven hits and six strikeouts. Grove issued seven walks as well, all of which that came in the first five innings.
Tech starter Steven Gingery (4-2) suffered the loss for Tech after allowing eight runs, only three of which that were earned, off six hits and two walks over his 2.2 innings. Dalton Brown and Ryan Shetter combined to shut out Oklahoma over the final 1.2 innings in relief.
The Red Raiders hope to learn at least part of their postseason fate on Sunday evening when the NCAA Regional host sites and national seeds are announced at 7:30 p.m. CT via @NCAACWS on Twitter. The entire field of 64 teams will be announced at 11 a.m. Monday on the NCAA Selection Show that will air live on ESPNU.
Watch: This is why Gutierrez is also a Gold Glove winner as he makes a great snag at first. #WreckEm #SCTop10 https://t.co/QUdRuscvD9
-- Texas Tech Baseball (@TTU_Baseball) May 27, 2016
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Grove, Dylan (2-1)
L: Gingery, Steven (4-2)
Batting:
2B: Gutierrez, Eric 1
3B: Lyons, Anthony 1
HR: Davis, Michael 1
RBI: Davis, Michael 1 ; Lyons, Anthony 1 ; Raley, Cory 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Davis, Michael 2 ; Lyons, Anthony 1 ; Sanchez, Kholeton 1
SB: Raley, Cory 1 ; Hargrove, Hunter 1
PO: Gutierrez, Eric 1
Batting:
2B: Walker, Steele 1 ; Thomas, Cody 1 ; Mendenhall, Kyle 1
3B: Thomas, Cody 1
HR: O'Brien, Austin 1
RBI: Wise, Alex 5 ; Neuse, Sheldon 2 ; O'Brien, Austin 3 ; Thomas, Cody 2 ; Martinez, Renae 1 ; Mendenhall, Kyle 1 ; Harris, Cade 1
SH: Harris, Cade 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Hollas, Ben 2 ; Walker, Steele 2 ; Neuse, Sheldon 2 ; O'Brien, Austin 2 ; Thomas, Cody 3 ; Martinez, Renae 2 ; Mendenhall, Kyle 3 ; Harris, Cade 1
SB: Wise, Alex 1 ; Hollas, Ben 1 ; Thomas, Cody 1
HBP: Mendenhall, Kyle 1 ; Harris, Cade 1
