Tech splits pair on final day of regular season

Friday, May 17

Tempe, AZ

3 p.m. CT / 1 p.m. local

Texas Tech Athletics

31-23

UNLV

26-25

UNLV

Texas Tech

Tech splits pair on final day of regular season

May 18, 2024 | Baseball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2 Box Score (UNLV) Box Score (ASU)

The Red Raiders downed UNLV 13-12 and fell to ASU 17-11 Friday

By: Andrew Stern

TEMPE, Ariz. – In the final two games of the 2024 regular season, Texas Tech Baseball split a pair of matchups on Friday against UNLV and Arizona State at Phoenix Municipal Stadium.

In the opener of the day, Texas Tech (31-24) used a six-run fourth and a late ninth inning rally to defeat UNLV (26-25) in walk-off fashion, before dropping the nightcap 17-11 to host Arizona State (31-24).

After Friday's action, the Red Raiders have closed the regular season and will now turn their attention to next week's Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship.

GAME ONE:
After a scoreless inning each from Kyle Robinson and Zach Erdman, UNLV struck for four runs in the third to race out to a 4-0 lead.

An Owen Washburn home run jumpstarted the Red Raider offense, as Tech used the longball to score six runs in the inning.

The six-run offensive explosion also included an RBI double from TJ Pompey as well as an RBI double from Kevin Bazzell and a two-run home run from Drew Woodcox.

Armed with a 6-4 lead, Erdman worked around a two-out double to fire a zero in the fourth.

In the home half of the fourth, Tech used a solo shot from Will Burns to take a 7-4 lead.

A 1-2-3 inning from Erdman and reliever Josh Sanders sent the game to the fifth, where Cade McGee launched a two-run home run that gave the Red Raiders a 9-4 lead after five.

Following another scoreless inning from Sanders in the sixth, Tech used a solo shot from Pompey, an RBI single from Woodcox and a sac-fly from McGee to go ahead 12-4 after six.

In the seventh, UNLV used a three-run home run to pull to within 12-7. In their turn in the seventh, Tech got a pair of two out singles, but a flyout ended the two-out threat.

A grounder and a home run brought UNLV to within 12-9 heading to the ninth.

Down 12-9, UNLV quickly loaded the bases with one out off Jacob Rogers and Jack Washburn. With the tying runs aboard, UNLV lifted a one-out sac-fly to pull to within 12-10, before a two-run single tied the game at 12.

Needing just one to win it, the Red Raiders put a pair on, on a Tracer Lopez one out single and a walk.

Strolling to the plate with the winning run at second, Pompey poked the first pitch he saw from UNLVs Matthew Maloney past UNLVs Austin Kryszczuk for the walk-off win. The play was ruled an E3 as Lopez raced around second to score.

In the opener of the day, Pompey went 3-for-6 with a pair of RBIs and two runs scored, while McGee and Woodcox each drove in three.

GAME TWO:
Much like Thursday's opener in the desert, Tech raced out to an early 3-0 lead when Woodcox ripped a 103 MPH grounder that scored a pair and McGee dunked a single into center field. Woodcox's ball scored Austin Green from second and Gage Harrelson from third, while McGee's single scored Woodcox.

All three runs were unearned as Woodcox's ball was also an error and occurred with two outs.

In the home half of the first, ASU used a pair of errors and a two-run home run from Jacob Tobias to tie the game at three. Like the top of the first, all three Sun Devil runs off Tech starter Ryan Free were unearned.

ASU made it four unanswered runs in the second off Free using three straight two-out singles to take a 4-3 lead.

Needing a response, Tech quickly used a lead-off double from Green and an RBI single from Woodcox to tie the game at four-all.

In a tie game and with Woodcox on first, McGee launched a 419 fly ball for his 13th home run of the season and second of the day. The blast gave Tech a 6-4 lead.

Turning to Carson Baugh for the third, the lefty worked around a bases loaded two out jam to send the game to the fourth with the Red Raiders on top by two.

Looking to pad the lead, Tech used a two-out walk by Harrelson and a hit-by-pitch from Green to set the table for Gavin Kash. Ahead in the count 2-1, Kash lifted a 105 MPH fly ball that soared 416 feet for his 14th homer of the season.

The blast by Kash was a historic one as it was the 40th career longball, as the first baseman became the fifth all-time Red Raider to launch 40 homers. Kash needs just four more homers to tie Clint Bryant's program record (44).

Despite having a five-run lead, the Red Raiders again found trouble on the mound in the fourth as a leadoff ASU home run kickstarted a three-run frame that brought the Sun Devils to within 9-7 with two out in the frame.

Looking to slam the door shut, Tech turned to reliver Trendan Parish, who dazzled in his first appearance since Apr. 1 against Stanford, as the righty used a comebacker to get through the fourth.

Returning for the fifth in a 9-7 game, Parish quickly retired the side in order to send the game to the sixth with Tech on top 9-7. In his first action in over six weeks, Parish retired all four batters he faced.

After a scoreless top half of the sixth, Tech turned to lefty Brendan Lysik, who walked the first four batters he faced.

With the bases loaded and no outs in a 9-8 game, ASU used a wild pitch to tie the game at 9-all.

The walks proved to be costly, as once the inning was over ASU tallied seven total runs, flipping the 9-7 deficit into a 14-9 advantage.

Down to their last nine outs, Tech used an Owen Washburn single and a two-run blast from Woodcox to draw to within 14-11, however ASU used a pair in the seventh and one in the eighth to close out the 17-11 win.

UP NEXT:
As previously mentioned the Red Raiders will open the Big 12 Championships on Tuesday night from Globe Life Field. First pitch is set for 7:30 p.m.

Tech and UT set for Fall Ball scrimmage

Thursday, August 28

Tech adds Steve Merriman as Director of Pitching Development

Thursday, July 31

Robin Villeneuve to return in 2026

Thursday, July 17

Five Red Raiders selected in 2025 MLB Draft

Monday, July 14

Next Event

Texas

W, 6-4

May 21 (Tue)

7:30 p.m.

Box Score Recap Box Score (PDF) Watch Listen Live Stats

Full Schedule

Team Stats

Pitching:

W: Washburn, Jack (2-1)

L: Maloney,Matthew (3-3)

UNLV

Batting:

2B: Schmidt,Parker 1 ; O'Sullivan,Brendan 1 ; Pimentel,Alex 1

HR: Kryszczuk,Austin 2 ; O'Sullivan,Brendan 1

RBI: Schmidt,Parker 3 ; Kryszczuk,Austin 4 ; O'Sullivan,Brendan 3 ; Myro IV,Paul 1

SF: Myro IV,Paul 1

Base Running:

RUNS: Hefft,JP 2 ; Schmidt,Parker 2 ; Kryszczuk,Austin 2 ; Higgins,Kade 1 ; O'Sullivan,Brendan 2 ; Rodriguez,Isaac 1 ; Panaro,Santino 1 ; Myro IV,Paul 1

SB: Myro IV,Paul 1

HBP: Ditmar,Chase 1

Texas Tech

Batting:

2B: Pompey, TJ 1 ; Bazzell, Kevin 1 ; Kash, Gavin 1

HR: Pompey, TJ 1 ; Woodcox, Drew 1 ; McGee, Cade 1 ; Washburn, Owen 1 ; Burns, Will 1

RBI: Pompey, TJ 2 ; Bazzell, Kevin 1 ; Woodcox, Drew 3 ; McGee, Cade 3 ; Washburn, Owen 1 ; Burns, Will 1

SF: McGee, Cade 1

Base Running:

RUNS: Pompey, TJ 2 ; Harrelson, Gage 1 ; Bazzell, Kevin 2 ; Kash, Gavin 1 ; Woodcox, Drew 2 ; McGee, Cade 1 ; Washburn, Owen 1 ; Lopez, Tracer 2 ; Burns, Will 1