No. 21 Tech routs No. 8 Stanford for big road win
April 11, 2023 | Baseball
STANFORD, Calif. – Just like Monday night, No. 21 Texas Tech started with a 4-0 lead against No. 8 Stanford but on Tuesday afternoon the offense kept rolling in an 11-2 victory at Sunken Diamond to earn the series split. Tech's bullpen showcased a masterclass performance with a trio of pitchers that did not allow a run over the final 6 2/3 innings.
The Red Raiders pounced on the Cardinal in the first inning en route to its 15th double-digit scoring game this season and a third such game against a Top 25 opponent. It was the most lopsided loss for Stanford since a season-opening 8-1 loss to CSU Fullerton and it was only the third home loss for the Cardinal this season.
Meanwhile, Tech grabbed its first true road win this season after a 0-5 start, which included three-straight bottom-of-the-ninth walk-off losses – twice to Texas and once to New Mexico.
The top of the Red Raider order put on a show offensively as the top four combined to go 9-of-18 – Nolen Hester, Ty Coleman, Gage Harrelson and Kevin Bazzell. Hester led the team with three hits, each being a double, signaling a career-high and only the 22nd time in program history the feat was accomplished.
Hester's third double of the game marked his 200th collegiate hit dating back to his Wofford career. Late in the game, Hudson White kept the offense rolling all the way into the ninth inning, mashing the first Red Raider home run of the Stanford series.
The defense also played a key role in the win, turning two double plays and logging one out on a caught stealing.
Tech hit well with runners in scoring position, going 8-of-19 while Stanford was limited to going 1-of-6. The timely hitting started in the first inning as Bazzell smacked a two-out RBI single to score Coleman from second base. Signs for a good day came early for the Red Raiders as the first run was initially called an out but head coach Tim Tadlock called for a review and the play was overturned deeming Coleman got under the tag and was safe at home.
Stanford started the third with a new pitcher and allowed the first four Red Raider batters to reach base, which included an RBI single by Coleman to increase Tech's lead to 2-0. After the first four batters reached, it queued a pitching change. Gavin Kash came through against the new pitcher, knocking a base hit that allowed two more to score to push the Red Raiders lead to 4-0 after the top of the third.
The bullpen performance began in the bottom of the third as Ryan Free relieved freshman starter Zane Petty. Free inherited one-out and base runners on first and second. Versus his first batter, Free allowed a single to load the bases which would allow a run to score from third on the next at-bat, a fielder's choice. The second run scored on an error as runners were on the corners while an attempt to throw out a runner stealing second went into the outfield allowing a run to score from third.
It was all zeroes from that point forward with Brandon Beckel and Kyle Robinson finishing the job. Free worked 1 2/3 innings while Beckel gave Tech three scoreless innings and Robinson finished the job with scoreless frames in the eighth and ninth. Robinson did not allow a hit in his third consecutive appearance out of the bullpen dating back to a 1 1/3 no-hit job versus TCU (April 1) and a three-inning no-hit job versus North Dakota State (April 8).
Up Next
Texas Tech remains on the road as Big 12 action resumes, Friday-Sunday, at Oklahoma.
The Red Raiders pounced on the Cardinal in the first inning en route to its 15th double-digit scoring game this season and a third such game against a Top 25 opponent. It was the most lopsided loss for Stanford since a season-opening 8-1 loss to CSU Fullerton and it was only the third home loss for the Cardinal this season.
Meanwhile, Tech grabbed its first true road win this season after a 0-5 start, which included three-straight bottom-of-the-ninth walk-off losses – twice to Texas and once to New Mexico.
The top of the Red Raider order put on a show offensively as the top four combined to go 9-of-18 – Nolen Hester, Ty Coleman, Gage Harrelson and Kevin Bazzell. Hester led the team with three hits, each being a double, signaling a career-high and only the 22nd time in program history the feat was accomplished.
Hester's third double of the game marked his 200th collegiate hit dating back to his Wofford career. Late in the game, Hudson White kept the offense rolling all the way into the ninth inning, mashing the first Red Raider home run of the Stanford series.
The defense also played a key role in the win, turning two double plays and logging one out on a caught stealing.
Tech hit well with runners in scoring position, going 8-of-19 while Stanford was limited to going 1-of-6. The timely hitting started in the first inning as Bazzell smacked a two-out RBI single to score Coleman from second base. Signs for a good day came early for the Red Raiders as the first run was initially called an out but head coach Tim Tadlock called for a review and the play was overturned deeming Coleman got under the tag and was safe at home.
Stanford started the third with a new pitcher and allowed the first four Red Raider batters to reach base, which included an RBI single by Coleman to increase Tech's lead to 2-0. After the first four batters reached, it queued a pitching change. Gavin Kash came through against the new pitcher, knocking a base hit that allowed two more to score to push the Red Raiders lead to 4-0 after the top of the third.
The bullpen performance began in the bottom of the third as Ryan Free relieved freshman starter Zane Petty. Free inherited one-out and base runners on first and second. Versus his first batter, Free allowed a single to load the bases which would allow a run to score from third on the next at-bat, a fielder's choice. The second run scored on an error as runners were on the corners while an attempt to throw out a runner stealing second went into the outfield allowing a run to score from third.
It was all zeroes from that point forward with Brandon Beckel and Kyle Robinson finishing the job. Free worked 1 2/3 innings while Beckel gave Tech three scoreless innings and Robinson finished the job with scoreless frames in the eighth and ninth. Robinson did not allow a hit in his third consecutive appearance out of the bullpen dating back to a 1 1/3 no-hit job versus TCU (April 1) and a three-inning no-hit job versus North Dakota State (April 8).
Up Next
Texas Tech remains on the road as Big 12 action resumes, Friday-Sunday, at Oklahoma.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Beckel, Brandon (4-0)
L: Montgomery,B (1-1)

Batting:
2B: Hester, Nolen 3 ; Coleman, Ty 1
HR: White, Hudson 1
RBI: Hester, Nolen 2 ; Coleman, Ty 1 ; Harrelson, Gage 2 ; Bazzell, Kevin 1 ; Kash, Gavin 1 ; White, Hudson 3
Base Running:
RUNS: Hester, Nolen 1 ; Coleman, Ty 3 ; Bazzell, Kevin 1 ; Kash, Gavin 1 ; Vooletich, Zac 1 ; White, Hudson 2 ; Green, Austin 1 ; Lopez, Tracer 1

Batting:
RBI: Bowser,D 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Troy,T 1 ; Montgomery,B 1
SB: Troy,T 1 ; Bowser,D 1
CS: Park,E 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
Players Mentioned
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