No. 5 Tech Claims Midweek Opener At No. 4 Louisville, 8-4

Tuesday, March 13

Louisville, KY

2 p.m.

Texas Tech Athletics

16-2

Louisville

14-2

Texas Tech

Louisville

No. 5 Tech Claims Midweek Opener At No. 4 Louisville, 8-4

March 13, 2018 | Baseball

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

The Red Raiders score eight runs on 12 hits to take first game of midweek set

LOUISVILLE, Kentucky – The No. 5 Texas Tech baseball team picked up its second-straight road victory over a top-five squad behind an 8-4 win over No. 4 Louisville at Jim Patterson Stadium on Tuesday afternoon.

The Red Raiders (16-2) racked up eight runs on 12 hits, while holding the Cardinals (14-2) to four on five, respectively. It was the first time the two teams have met on the baseball diamond.

Sophomore outfielder Grant Little paced Tech batters with five hits, three for extra bases, needing a home run to hit for the cycle. Little was the first Red Raider with five hits in a contest since Anthony Lyons at Dallas Baptist on May 6, 2014.

Little was one of two Red Raiders to put together multi-hit performances, with sophomore infielder Josh Jung recorded three against the Cardinals and junior infielder Cameron Warren with a pair of knocks.

Junior right-handed pitcher Ryan Shetter made his fourth start of the year on Tuesday against the Cardinals. He went 4.0 frames, the shortest start of the year for the Friendswood native, giving up just one run, unearned, on one hit, walking five and striking out two.

He gave way to senior righty Jose Quezada, who tossed 3.0 innings to earn his third win of the year. He finished the contest with three strikeouts, allowing just one run on two hits.

After three scoreless frames, the Red Raiders drew first blood in the fourth inning with three runs. Holt & Jung both reached early in the frame with singles to put two on with one out. Then, McMillon sent a hard-hit ball to the first baseman, who attempted to turn two but threw the ball into the outfield, allowing Holt to scurry home for the 1-0 lead.

Another single from Little loaded the bases for Warren, who was hit by the second pitch he saw to force a run in. Tech got another free pass in the next at-bat from Davis, drawing a walk to push the advantage to 3-0.

It was the 16^th time in 18 games the Red Raiders have put a three-spot on the board in a single inning.

The Cardinals cut into the Tech lead in the bottom half of the inning with a run of their own. With two on after a walk & a HBP, an error on a sacrifice bunt from Campbell allowed him to reach and one run to score to make it 3-1.

In the sixth inning, Tech plated two more to increase their lead to 5-1. Three-straight base hits resulted in two runs for the Red Raiders, as Jung & McMillon led off with a single & double, respectively. That put two in scoring position for Little, who rocketed a double off the right field wall to clear the bases for the 5-1 lead.

Little's second double of the game scored another run, driving in Jung, who walked & moved over to second base on a wild pitch before Little's double, for the 6-1 advantage.

Louisville got it back with an RBI single from Snider to left field, cutting the Tech lead to 6-2. The hit from Snider scored Fitzgerald from third after a knock Stowers placed him 90 feet away from home plate. They'd continue to chip away in the eighth inning, as a bases-loaded walk with one out & a wild pitch with two gone made it 6-4.

However, Tech pushed the lead back to four runs with two more in the top of the ninth, bringing the score to its final total at 8-4. After a single from Jung, Little struck a two-out triple off the right field wall to drive him in and complete a five-hit day. In the next at-bat, Warren picked up his second hit of the afternoon with a single to left field, giving him two hits for the second consecutive game.

The Red Raiders close the two-game set with No. 4 Louisville on Wednesday at 11 a.m. CDT at Jim Patterson Stadium.