Rains shines, Tech sweeps day three of Mary Nutter

Saturday, February 25

Palm Springs, Calif.

7 p.m.

Texas Tech Athletics

11-4

UC San Diego

7-7

UC San Diego

Texas Tech

Rains shines, Tech sweeps day three of Mary Nutter

February 26, 2023 | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2 Box Score (PDF)

Olivia Rains tossed seven shutout innings

By: Hanna Cooper

CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. – Olivia Rains hurled a one-hit shutout to down Bethune-Cookman, 9-0, after the Red Raiders got back in the win column with a 11-5 win over UC San Diego Saturday afternoon at Big League Dreams.

Rains (1-1) closed out the final two innings of game one against the Tritons (7-7) scattering two hits and not allowing a run, before hurling all 5.0 innings of the night cap. The win marked the first complete game of her Texas Tech career.

The right carried a perfect game through 4.2 innings of action before a two-strike, two-out single in the bottom of the fifth broke it up.

"Olivia did a phenomenal job managing the strike zone and creating bad contact," head coach Craig Snider said. "She was lights out! I am so proud of her and she will be a massive piece for us!"

Game One: Texas Tech 11, UC San Diego 5
After UC San Diego struck first in the opening frame off starting pitcher Sage Hoover, Tech (12-4) used a leadoff walk from Peyton Blythe and an RBI double from Kailey Wyckoff to tie the game at one.

In the home half the second, Tech used another leadoff walk, this time from McCLarity, to set the stage for Carson Armijo who doubled to place runners on second and third with nobody out. The Red Raiders' next hitter, Alanna Barraza, brought home Tech's second run on a fielder's choice.

After back-to-back free passes from UC San Diego starter Gabby Williams brought home another run, Arriana Villa drove home the final run of the frame on a two-out single to left. The three-spot gave Tech a 4-1 lead.

The teams traded zeros in the third inning, but the Tritons used five hits to tie the game at four in the fourth.

UCSD took its final lead of the ballgame one inning later when the former starting pitcher, Williams, rocketed a ball off Maddie Kuehl. The pitcher recovered and tried to throw Williams out at first base but was unable to. As a result of Kuehl firing to first, the runner on first base was able to come around to score giving UCSD a 5-4 lead.

With the lead back, the Tritons turned to Jada Cecil, who immediately got into trouble when Wyckoff tripled. After a free pass to Villa, Demi Elder beat out an infield single to score Wyckoff.

After McClarity loaded the bases on a single to left with nobody out, Armijo doubled down the third base line. The hit scored both Villa and Elder.

Williams reentered the circle and recorded a pair of outs, but Makinzy Herzog doubled home a pair with two outs to give Tech a 9-5 lead. The sixth run of the inning came home one batter later when Jacee Hamlin singled home Chassity Raines who pinch ran for Herzog.

Hamlin stole second and later scored the 11th and final run for Tech one batter later on Wyckoff's second hit of the inning.

Keuhl worked around singles in the sixth and seventh to fire a pair of zeros that closed out the 11-5 victory.

Game Two: Texas Tech 9, Bethune Cookman 0
The Red Raiders tallied runs in all four plate appearances to earn the run-rule win over Bethune-Cookman (1-13). Tech struck first in its first at-bat after an infield single scored Herzog, who led off with a single to left center.

After another three-up, three-down inning for Rains, Barraza led off the bottom of the second with a single up-the-middle after came around to score off another hit by Herzog.

Rains' dominant performance continued after retiring the side in the top of the third. The momentum carried to the offense as a pair of walks and a single from Demi Elder tacked on two more runs for Tech to give them a 4-0 lead.

The Red Raiders put the run rule in effect in the bottom of the fourth after scoring for runs off two hits and two errors. Wyckoff led off the frame with a single up-the-middle. After a fielding error put runners on second and third, McClarity cleared the bases with a single to left field. A wild pitch on a walk plated the eighth run for Tech before a sacrifice fly by Abbie Orrick capped off the four-run frame.

Rains entered the circle for the final time and retired the first batters. After a single broke up the no-hitter, Rains fired right back with a strikeout to earn the shutout.

Next Up
Texas Tech closes out the Mary Nutter Classic tomorrow with an 1:30 p.m. contest against Cal.