Texas Tech University Athletics
Texas Tech Routs Fairfield To Open NCAA Lubbock Regional
June 03, 2016 | Baseball
June 3, 2016
LUBBOCK, Texas -- Tyler Neslony drove in four runs while Davis Martin tossed a career-high seven innings Friday afternoon as top-seeded Texas Tech opened the NCAA Lubbock Regional with a 12-1 rout of Fairfield at Dan Law Field at Rip Griffin Park.
The victory moves the Red Raiders (42-16) to the winner's side of the bracket where Tech will meet No. 3 seed New Mexico after the Lobos defeated two-seeded Dallas Baptist, 12-6, in the nightcap.
The Red Raiders, who are now 7-4 all-time in NCAA Championship openers, jumped on Fairfield (32-25) early, plating a pair of runs in the opening frame thanks to back-to-back RBI singles from Cory Raley and Tyler Neslony.
Neslony paced the Red Raiders throughout the afternoon, finishing 2-for-4 overall with four RBI. In addition to his single in the first, Neslony helped break the game open with a two-run single in the fourth before adding a RBI groundout in the sixth.
The Red Raiders plated three runs in both the fourth and sixth innings as well as the eighth en route to scoring their most runs in a NCAA Championship game since defeating Mississippi State, 14-7, at the 2004 NCAA Atlanta Regional.
Raley also drove in three runs in the win thanks to a sacrifice fly in the sixth and a RBI double in the eighth. He was one of five Red Raiders with a multi-hit game as he finished 2-for-3 overall with three RBI.
Each of the first five hitters in the Tech lineup - Stephen Smith (3-for-3), Tyler Floyd (2-for-5), Tanner (2-for-3), Raley and Neslony - connected on at least two hits as the Red Raiders totaled 16 base knocks as a team. Tech had 10 different Red Raiders reach base via a hit.
Smith reached in all five of his plate appearances as he drew two of six walks issued by Fairfield. Gardner, meanwhile, reached three times as he recorded his 23rd multi-hit game of the season which is tied with Raley for the team high.
The offensive performance complimented a stellar outing from Martin (9-0), who earned his team-leading ninth win of the season after allowing just one run off five hits and four strikeouts over his career-high seven innings.
Fairfield scored its only run in the third inning off a Tech throwing error as the Stags took advantage of Martin's only two walks of the day to start the frame. Martin ended the outing by retiring nine of the final 10 hitters he faced.
Erikson Lanning tossed the final two innings for the Red Raiders, limiting Fairfield to just a hit while facing the minimum of six hitters. Tech turned its 68th double play of the year in the eighth, matching the single-season school record from 2013.
Fairfield starter Kyle Dube (6-4) suffered the loss after allowing six runs off eight hits and three strikeouts. The Stags had previously given up 12 or more runs just twice this season.
