No. 4 Tech Pushes Past No. 21 Texas, 2-1

Friday, March 17

Austin, TX

6:30 p.m.

Texas Tech Athletics

15-4, 0

Texas

13-7, 0

Texas Tech

Texas

No. 4 Tech Pushes Past No. 21 Texas, 2-1

March 17, 2017 | Baseball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)Postgame Notes (PDF)

The Red Raiders hold the Longhorns to two hits in the first Big 12 game of the year.

AUSTIN, Texas – The No. 4 Texas Tech baseball team opened conference play with a 2-1 win over No. 21 Texas on Friday night at UFCU Disch-Falk Field in Austin.

The Red Raiders (15-4, 1-0) never trailed the Longhorns (13-7, 0-1), scoring in third and seventh innings. The first run came off a home run from junior infielder Michael Davis, while the game-winner was hit by freshman catcher Michael Berglund, his third of the year, in the form of a double to right field. He also tallied the game-winning RBI against California (Feb. 25) and Arizona (March 7).

Friday night's win improved Tech to 4-1 this season against nationally-ranked opponents. It also marked the third-straight year the Red Raiders have begun Big 12 action with a victory, defeating Baylor (5-0) in 2016 and Oklahoma (6-1) in 2015.

Sophomore right-handed pitcher Davis Martin collected his third win of the season after going 6.1 innings, allowing just one run on two hits, while striking out six, to improve to 3-1. It was the only two hits given by the Red Raider pitching staff on the evening, the second time this season, last doing so against New Mexico State on Feb. 21.

Berglund's double was part of a two-hit night for the Corpus Christi native, who also put down a single in the second inning. It was his second multi-hit game of his career, joining a three-hit bid against Arizona on March 7. The Red Raiders finished the night with seven hits.

Tech got on the board in the third inning, as Davis rocketed a 2-1 pitch over the left-center field wall to give the Red Raiders a 1-0 lead. It was his third homer of the season and second solo shot of the year.

The Longhorns answered back in the bottom of the frame with a solo home run of their own, coming from Tate Shaw to right field to knot it up at one. It was the first hit given up by Martin after 2.1 innings pitched.

Both third inning homers came from the batters hitting in the nine-hole of their respective lineups.

After three-straight scoreless frames, Tech re-took the lead in the seventh inning. Senior infielder Hunter Hargrove led off with a hit-by-pitch on the would-be ball four of the bat, but he wouldn't stay there long thanks to Berglund. On a 2-2 count, the freshman ripped a double to right field that went all the way to the wall, scoring Hargrove to give Tech a 2-1 lead and tally his sixth RBI of the year.

Martin's night ended in the bottom of the seventh after issuing a strikeout and a walk to start the frame. Junior lefty Parker Mushinski took over and immediately took care of business, inducing a fly ball and ringing up the next batter to keep the lead intact.

In the bottom of the eighth, Texas' Shaw was hit by the first pitch of the at-bat and was quickly moved over to second base on a sacrifice bunt from Jones. Texas' Hamilton worked a healthy 2-2 count with several foul balls, but Mushinski nailed him with his second strikeout of the night for the second out of the frame. The Longhorns kept the threat alive after a stolen base by Shaw, but Mushinski induced a mild grounder to second base to end the inning.

Mushinski started the ninth, sandwiching a walk with two strikeouts, all three working to full counts to put a runner. On the second strikeout, a throwing error from Berglund caused Texas' pinch runner Rand to move over to third, signaling the end of Mushinski's night to give way to freshman right-hander John McMillon.

McMillon found himself in a similar situation, down 3-0 to his first batter, working back to force a full count, but walked Texas' Kody Clemens to put runners on the corners and two away. That would be the end though, as McMillon quickly worked a 1-2 count and punched out McCann for the final out of the game and his third save of the year.

The Red Raiders return to action on Saturday, March 18, for game two of the three-game set at 4 p.m. on LHN.