Tech drops walk-off heartbreaker, 9-8 at No. 2 Arkansas

Tuesday, April 16

Fayetteville, AR

7 p.m.

Texas Tech Athletics

Arkansas

Tech drops walk-off heartbreaker, 9-8 at No. 2 Arkansas

April 17, 2024 | Baseball

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The Red Raiders saw a 7-0 lead slip away Tuesday

By: Andrew Stern

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Texas Tech Baseball raced out to a 7-0 lead on Tuesday night before falling to No. 2 Arkansas 9-8 in walk-off fashion at Baum Walker Stadium.

A six-run second inning ignited by a two-run home run from third baseman Cade McGee, and continued on a pair of RBI singles from TJ Pompey and Dylan Maxcey as well as a two-RBI double from Austin Green got Texas Tech (26-12) off to a good start.

With starter Zach Erdman cruising through the first three innings, the Red Raiders looked to be in a good spot.

After the Red Raiders plated one on a Green RBI single in fourth, the second-ranked Razorbacks (31-5) scratched together a run on a walk, a double and a single.

The run proved to be a catalyst for Arkansas, as the Hogs added six more runs in the fifth. The inning started with a leadoff double by Jayson Jones. After a hit batter placed two on with nobody out, the Red Raiders turned to lefty Hudson Luce.

An RBI single and walk loaded the bases with nobody out in a 7-2 game, but Luce rebounded, using a grounder to third to start a 5-5-3 double-play to put two outs on the board.

The grounder cut the Tech lead to 7-3. The next batter, Arkansas' Wehiwa Aloy, lifted a high fly-ball to shallow left field that fell right before the foul line in left field and just past the reach of Tracer Lopez.

Arkansas next batter Ben McLaughlin homered to lefty cutting the Tech lead to 7-6. Arkansas closed the inning on an RBI double from its catcher.

The game remained 7-7 until the seventh, when Green lifted his fifth home run off Arkansas' projected All-American Wil McEntire.

Armed with an 8-7 lead, Isaiah Rhodes worked around a lead-off to record a strikeout before being lifted for Derek Bridges. Rhodes, pitched an inning-and-two-thirds and struck out three batters. He retired four of the five batters he faced.

Bridges retired the lone batter he faced, leaving in favor of righty Jacob Rogers, who coaxed a fly ball from the Hogs catcher to strand the tying and go-ahead runs on base.

Returning for the eighth, Rogers allowed a lead-off double, a wild pitch and walk, to place runners on the corners with nobody out. With his back against the wall, the Friendswood native struck out a batter to retire the first out of the frame.

With runners on the corners and one out, Rogers got a ground-ball that Pompey fielded cleanly and fired to second for the second out, but the return throw bounced, allowing Arkansas' Peyton Stovall to beat throw and pinch-runner Ty Wilmsmeyer to score from third.

In a tie game in the ninth, Green reach with one out in the ninth on his fifth hit of the night, a hustle single to second base.

Green was lifted for pinch-runner Will Burns, who immediately stole second, placing the go-ahead run in scoring position with one out.

Tech's next two batters, Woodcox and McGee, both flied out to end the threat. The first flyout from Woodcox, was a low stinger that exited the bat at 103, but was ultimately chased down by Wilmsmeyer in center.

Tech turned to freshman Parker Hutyra in the ninth, who saw the lead-off man reach on a ground ball that was booted for an error. With the lead-off man on first and nobody out, Arkansas hit a comebacker to Hutyra.

The pitcher slipped fielding the ball and spiked a throw to second that resulted in another error.

After a hit-by-pitch loaded the bases, pinch-hitter Nolan Souza lifted a sac-fly to right that plated the game-winning run.

In the end, Green went 5-for-5 in Tuesday's game with four RBIs and two runs scored, while Pompey, Maxcey and Kash all added two hits apiece.

UP NEXT:
The Red Raiders will close out the six-game road trip with a second and final matchup at No. 2 Arkansas. First pitch is set for 4 p.m. on SEC Network.