Wyckoff walks off Rutgers, Tech falls to Seton Hall

Saturday, March 4

Lubbock, Texas

3 p.m.

Texas Tech Athletics

15-6

Rutgers

15-4

Rutgers

Texas Tech

Wyckoff walks off Rutgers, Tech falls to Seton Hall

March 04, 2023 | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2 Game One Box Score Game Two Box Score Photo Gallery

The Red Raiders came from behind six runs

By: Hanna Cooper

LUBBOCK, Texas – Freshman Kailey Wyckoff smashed a walk-off triple to power Texas Tech past Rutgers, 6-5, before the Red Raiders narrowly fell to Seton Hall, 3-2, in the night cap Saturday at Rocky Johnson Field.

The Red Raiders (15-7) overcame a 5-0 deficit in the bottom of the seventh by firing off seven hits to plate the needed six runs.

COMEBACK COMPLETE??

KAILEY WYCKOFF CALLED GAME??@KaileyWyckoff | #WreckEm pic.twitter.com/ZuNRxfOXIB
— Texas Tech Softball (@TexasTechSB) March 4, 2023

"I keep encouraging our offense and reminding them that they are never out of the fight," head coach Craig Snider said. "We've proven that we can hit the ball deep and for extra-base hits. It only takes a few swings to get us going, and Carson Armijo did a great job of starting us off. Scoring six in the bottom of the seventh really shows the heart and fight of this team."

Game One: Texas Tech 6, Rutgers
Carson Armijo kicked off the rally in the Red Raiders' final at-bat with a leadoff home run over the right-center wall. After a pop out, back-to-back hits from Kennedy Crites and Alanna Barraza kept the hitting streak going and set Makinzy Herzog up for a two-RBI single that pulled Tech back within two.

Peyton Blythe followed right behind Herzog and ripped a triple down the right-field line to cut the deficit to just one. After fouling off the first five pitches she saw, Ellie Bailey picked one she liked and ripped it right back at the pitcher to put runners on the corners.

Freshman Wyckoff then became the hero, launching the 1-2 pitch to deep left center to score the winning, walk-off run.

Both teams were quiet through the opening two frames before Rutgers (15-4) snapped the scoreless streak, plating a run off a wild pitch. The next batter, Katie Wingert smashed a double to score Morgan Smither, who reached on a walked.

A pair of singles would score another run for the Scarlet Knights before Sage Hoover (8-0) checked into the circle and struck out the final two batters. Rutgers would then tack on one more run in the sixth, setting up Tech for the six-run comeback.

Hoover earned her eighth win of the season after striking out four in 2.2 innings of work. Jaden Vickers, who entered in the seventh for Rutgers, would suffer the loss after allowing three runs off four hits.

Game Two: Seton Hall 3, Texas Tech 2
Despite a quiet opening frame, Seton Hall's (7-6) offense found some fire in the top of the second, where the squad plated all three of its runs.

The Pirates tallied four straight hits to score the first two runs of the frame. Herzog (1-1) finally forced a ground out before an Ashly Colonnetta single gave them the decisive third run.

However, Tech again refused to go down without a fight. Alanna Barraza led off the third inning with a homer to left center, cutting the deficit by one.

Nothing went for either side through the next two innings, sending the game into the sixth. After Hoover entered for Herzog, she kept the game humming and worked around a two-out double to bring the offense to the plate.

In the bottom of the sixth, Bailey brought the Red Raider back within one with a solo home run, but Tech would strand a pair of runners in the seventh to come up just short.

Shelby Smith (3-1) earned the win, hurling all 7.0 innings and fanning 10 batters.

Next Up
Texas Tech returns to action next weekend as they play host to Buffalo, Manhattan and New Mexico in the Texas Tech Invitational. The Red Raiders open play on Friday at 3 p.m. against Buffalo.