Sunday, February 26
Lubbock, TX
1 p.m. CT
Texas Tech Athletics
8-0
14
vs
8
Western Illinois
1-7
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
Western Illinois
0
4
0
0
0
0
4
0
0
8
9
1
Texas Tech
0
0
8
5
0
1
0
0
X
14
16
2
No. 24 Tech clinches second series sweep
February 26, 2023 | Baseball
LUBBOCK, Texas – No. 24 Texas Tech completed its second series sweep of the season on Sunday, defeating Western Illinois 14-8 at Rip Griffin Park. In its four-game series sweep that improved the Red Raiders to 8-0 this season, it was powered by 55 runs scored and a defense that turned nine double plays.
Dillon Carter had a strong effort from the plate, as well defensively. He was 2-for-4 on Sunday, and hit his second home run in as many days. He finished the weekend series hitting .643 (9-for-14) with two home runs, one triple and one double. His glove helped seal Sunday's win with a highlight reel catch to close the top of the eighth and turned a double play to end the game in the ninth.
"There's no doubt he's probably the best center fielder in all of college baseball," said teammate Hudson White. "Last year he struggled, but this offseason he worked his tail off. He really put in a lot of time and effort. He can tell you that too. He just worked his butt off offensively and he's seeing the rewards for that now."
White was effective himself, as he was responsible for a three-run home run that helped widen the gap during an eight-run onslaught in the third inning that flipped a 4-0 deficit into an 8-4 lead. The first eight Red Raiders scored in the third inning as 14 came to the plate while Western Illinois battled using three different pitchers in the frame. There were six hits during the rally, with six being recorded by the first seven batters that went to the plate. White, the seventh batter, connected for a 389-foot knock over the left-center wall, his first of the season.
Texas Tech poured it on once again the following inning as they batted around the order for a second time. In the fifth, the Red Raiders sent 11 batters to the plate and manufactured five more runs to push their lead to 13-4.
Kyle Robinson was a late start on Sunday for Texas Tech in place of scheduled starter Bo Blessie. Robinson battled for four innings and Ryan Free, in relief, gave Tech the next two innings. Both allowed a four-spot, respectively, as Western Illinois recorded four runs in the second and four more in the seventh for all its Sunday scoring. Both Robinson and Free made quick work for a pair of innings as the WIU minimum came to the plate in the first, fourth, fifth and sixth innings.
However, Andrew Devine was credited with the win for being the most effective relief pitcher. The junior gave the Red Raiders two innings of no-hit work and calmed down a seventh-inning Western Illinois rally as he inherited a runner on second base and no outs, following a string of three doubles that helped pushed four runs across.
"His delivery is just about as good as you can draw it up," said head coach Tim Tadlock. "Again, it's about him executing pitches, repeating his delivery, attacking the strike zone and doing those things. When he does that, he's going to be tough to hit."
Damian Bravo entered to seal the game in the ninth, needing just 10 pitches to do so.
Up Next
Texas Tech returns to action with a two-game home series versus Air Force, Tuesday (6:30 p.m.) and Wednesday (2 p.m.). It will mark the conclusion of the Red Raiders' 10-game homestand to start the 2023 season.
Dillon Carter had a strong effort from the plate, as well defensively. He was 2-for-4 on Sunday, and hit his second home run in as many days. He finished the weekend series hitting .643 (9-for-14) with two home runs, one triple and one double. His glove helped seal Sunday's win with a highlight reel catch to close the top of the eighth and turned a double play to end the game in the ninth.
"There's no doubt he's probably the best center fielder in all of college baseball," said teammate Hudson White. "Last year he struggled, but this offseason he worked his tail off. He really put in a lot of time and effort. He can tell you that too. He just worked his butt off offensively and he's seeing the rewards for that now."
White was effective himself, as he was responsible for a three-run home run that helped widen the gap during an eight-run onslaught in the third inning that flipped a 4-0 deficit into an 8-4 lead. The first eight Red Raiders scored in the third inning as 14 came to the plate while Western Illinois battled using three different pitchers in the frame. There were six hits during the rally, with six being recorded by the first seven batters that went to the plate. White, the seventh batter, connected for a 389-foot knock over the left-center wall, his first of the season.
Texas Tech poured it on once again the following inning as they batted around the order for a second time. In the fifth, the Red Raiders sent 11 batters to the plate and manufactured five more runs to push their lead to 13-4.
Kyle Robinson was a late start on Sunday for Texas Tech in place of scheduled starter Bo Blessie. Robinson battled for four innings and Ryan Free, in relief, gave Tech the next two innings. Both allowed a four-spot, respectively, as Western Illinois recorded four runs in the second and four more in the seventh for all its Sunday scoring. Both Robinson and Free made quick work for a pair of innings as the WIU minimum came to the plate in the first, fourth, fifth and sixth innings.
However, Andrew Devine was credited with the win for being the most effective relief pitcher. The junior gave the Red Raiders two innings of no-hit work and calmed down a seventh-inning Western Illinois rally as he inherited a runner on second base and no outs, following a string of three doubles that helped pushed four runs across.
"His delivery is just about as good as you can draw it up," said head coach Tim Tadlock. "Again, it's about him executing pitches, repeating his delivery, attacking the strike zone and doing those things. When he does that, he's going to be tough to hit."
Damian Bravo entered to seal the game in the ninth, needing just 10 pitches to do so.
Up Next
Texas Tech returns to action with a two-game home series versus Air Force, Tuesday (6:30 p.m.) and Wednesday (2 p.m.). It will mark the conclusion of the Red Raiders' 10-game homestand to start the 2023 season.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Devine, Andrew (1-0)
L: Aron Harrington (0-1)
Batting:
2B: Derek Botaletto 1 ; Adam Juran 1 ; Max Slavens 1
3B: Nick Mitchell 1
RBI: Nick Mitchell 2 ; Derek Botaletto 3 ; Max Slavens 3
Base Running:
RUNS: Nick Mitchell 1 ; Chase VanDerGinst 1 ; Adam Juran 2 ; Max Slavens 2 ; Ricky Pospisil 2
SB: J.R. Heavilin 1 ; Chase VanDerGinst 2 ; Adam Juran 1
CS: Kyree Alexander 1
Batting:
2B: Harrelson, Gage 1 ; Carter, Dillon 1
HR: White, Hudson 1 ; Carter, Dillon 1
RBI: Harrelson, Gage 1 ; Bazzell, Kevin 1 ; Green, Austin 3 ; Woodcox, Drew 1 ; Kash, Gavin 2 ; White, Hudson 3 ; Carter, Dillon 3
Base Running:
RUNS: Vooletich, Zac 2 ; Harrelson, Gage 2 ; Bazzell, Kevin 1 ; Green, Austin 1 ; Woodcox, Drew 1 ; Kash, Gavin 2 ; White, Hudson 2 ; Carter, Dillon 2 ; Burns, Will 1
SB: Carter, Dillon 1
HBP: Vooletich, Zac 1 ; Bazzell, Kevin 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
5
R
2
H
3
RBI
1
AB
6
R
1
H
3
RBI
3
AB
5
R
2
H
2
RBI
0
AB
5
R
2
H
2
RBI
2
Players Mentioned
RHP
/ Baseball
UTL
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
C/INF
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