Tadlock reaches 500 as Tech splits double dip with No. 25 Cincy

Friday, May 15

Cincinnati OH

2 p.m. (ET) / 1 p.m. (CT)

Texas Tech Athletics

27-26, 10-19

No. 25 Cincinnati

36-19, 16-13

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Texas Tech	0	0	0	2	3	1	0	0	0	6	13	0
Cincinnati	0	2	1	0	0	0	1	1	0	5	7	3

Logan Hughes Screams and Celebrates following his ninth inning home run in Tech's regular season finale at Cincinnati Friday Night

Tadlock reaches 500 as Tech splits double dip with No. 25 Cincy

May 16, 2026 | Baseball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2 Box Score (G1) Box Score (G2)

The Red Raiders clinched a spot in the Big 12 Tournament with their win and Arizona's loss to No. 23 Oklahoma State

By: Andrew Stern

CINCINNATI – Texas Tech used a dramatic 6-5 win over No. 25 Cincinnati to split a day-night doubleheader at UC Baseball Stadium.

After winning the game one, Texas Tech (27-27, 10-20 Big 12) nearly erased a 7-2 deficit in the nightcap before falling 8-7.

The game one victory for Tech was head coach Tim Tadlock's 500th career win at the helm of his alma matter as Tadlock became just the second coach in program history (Larry Hays) to reach 500 victories. Tadlock did it in just 802 games.

With the results around the Big 12 (mainly Arizona's 13-1 run-rule loss at No. 22 Oklahoma State) the Red Raiders have clinched the 12th and final spot in next week's Big 12 Tournament in Surprise, Arizona.

The Red Raiders as the No. 12 seed will play the ninth-place finisher in the final league standings at 6:30 p.m. (CT)/4:30 p.m. (MST). Possible first round opponents for Tech include Baylor, BYU and Utah.

The Red Raiders will face Baylor if the Bears fall at Utah on Saturday and BYU loses at home to Kansas. If Baylor beats Utah and BYU wins against Kansas, Tech would face Utah. If Utah and BYU both lose, Tech could face BYU.

Down 3-0 early and after falling in run-rule fashion Friday night, Tech used two home runs from Caden Ferraro and Robin Villeneuve in a three-batter span to pull to within 3-2.

The home run for Ferraro was one of two on the day, as the OF homered in both ends of the doubleheader, while Villeneuve's blast was his 10th of the season and first since Mar. 17 at DBU.

To within 3-2, Tech starter Donovan Becerra fired a shutdown 1-2-3 fourth to bring the Red Raider bats back to the dish. Beccera. who tossed five innings of three-run, three-hit ball to earn his first career win, struck out four and walked just two.

With two outs and nobody on, the Red Raiders found some two-out magic in the fifth, using a double from Connor Shouse to jumpstart a three-run rally that flipped the game from 3-2 Cincinnati (37-19, 17-13 Big 12) to 5-3 Tech.

The big blow in the inning was a two-run full-count double off the bat of Freshman Linkin Garcia that gave Tech the lead at 4-3.

Armed with the lead for the first time, Becera did some of his most impressive work of his outing in the fifth, working around a lead-off single and a two-out free pass to strand the tying runs on base.

After adding one more in the sixth to take a 6-3 lead, the Red Raiders got a third shutdown inning in the bottom of the sixth, this time from senior Jonny Lowe.

Returning for the seventh, Lowe ultimately allowed a solo home run to Christian Michelle and a single with one out.

Up 6-4 and just eight outs from victory, the Red Raiders turned to Logan Addison who after allowing a single, coaxed a key 3-6-3 double play that once again got the Red Raiders through a jam without conceding another run.

In the eighth, the Red Raiders stranded Kyeler Thompson at second with one out after the centerfielder single and was bunted to second.

Looking to keep the pressure on, Cincinnati got a lead-off walk from Ryan Tyranski to chase Addison and a hit-by-pitch to put the tying runs on base with nobody out.

With Shouse on the mound, Cincy used a sac-bunt to place the tying runs at second and third respectively with just one out. Shouse ultimately limited the damage to just one run on a sac-fly as the Red Raiders took a 6-5 lead to the ninth.

After Bearcats righty Adam Buczkowski set the side down in order, the Red Raiders again turned to Shouse for the bottom of the ninth.

Looking for his third save in the last six games, Shouse erased a lead-off single on a 6-4-3 double play to nail down the aforementioned third save.

In the night cap, the Red Raiders struck first on back-to-back singles from Thompson and Tracer Lopez. Thompson ultimately came-around to score on the clutch hit from Lopez from second base after he stole second.

Armed with the lead, freshman Adam Hayes allowed a lead-off walk, a single and a three-run home run from UCs Quinton Coats. The blast was one of three homers Coats hit on the weekend, as the slugger went 7-for-12 with the three home runs and 11 RBIs.

Down 3-1, Tech used a 431-foot blast from Ferraro to pull to within a run, at 3-2. In the bottom of the second, Cincy used four runs to take a 7-2 lead after two.

Seeing the ball well against Bearcat starter Connor Blue, the Red Raiders pulled to within 7-3 on a fourth-inning RBI double from Ferraro.

With the right fielder on second and one out, the Red Raiders nearly scored again, but a seeing-eye single through the left side from catcher Matt Quintanar was unable to score Ferraro from third. Ultimately UCs Bredan Garula was able to retire pinch-hitter Davis Rivers with runners on the corners and two outs.

In the fifth, the Red Raiders once again nearly made it 8-4 when Shouse almost scored from first on a ball deep into the corner in left off the bat Logan Hughes that hopped into the stands for a ground-rule double as Shouse was coming around to score.

The hop forced Shouse back to third, as the Red Raiders once again came up empty with two-on and two-outs.

In the sixth, Tech finally scored the elusive fourth run when a single from Quintanar and a double from Villeneuve put runners on second and third with one out. Batting for the first time after entering at short as defensive replacement, Freshman Tommy Hanger legged out an infield single for his first career hit, but more importantly his first career RBI.

The single put runners on the corners with one-out and brought Thompson to the dish as the tying run.

Facing the speedy righty, Cincinnati summoned reliever Chad Brown who coaxed a 6-4-3 two-ball to end the frame.

Down 8-4 in the seventh, the Red Raiders again placed runners on the corners with one out just to see the Bearcats use a 6-6-3 double play to escape further damage.

With sophomore Connor Mohan (3.2 IP, 1 ER, 4K) and senior Jacob Rogers (2.1 IP, 0R, 4K) providing six innings of one run relief, the Red Raider bats continued to chip away at the Bearcats lead, as in the eighth, Tech got to 8-6 with Thompson at second and Lopez at first with two outs.

Seeing the game potentially slipping away, Cincy went to its most trusted reliever Buczkowski who whiffed Shouse on a 2-2 fastball to keep UC on top.

After another scoreless inning from Rogers, the Red Raiders went to the ninth down two.

Looking to mount their first ninth-inning comeback of the season, Tech got a lead-off opposite-field home run from Hughes and a no-out single from Garcia to place the tying run on.

The blast for Hughes was his 36th career as a Red Raider and 20th all-time Big 12 home run. The corner outfielder and first baseman tied assistant coach Eric Guittierez for ninth on the all-time home run list and became just the second Red Raider all-time to launch 20 career Big 12 bombs. Hughes joined former MLB catcher Josh Bard as the only players in school history to accomplish the feat.

With the tying run on and nobody out, Tech's next batter, Ferraro barreled a ball toward the left-center gap that was run down for the innings first out. The line out, combined with a strikeout and a foul out along the third base dugout, allowed Cincy and the sidewinding Buczkowski to escape with the 8-6 win and the series victory.

UP NEXT:
The Red Raiders will begin play at the Big 12 Tournament on Tuesday night in Surprise against the No. 9 Overall seed. With just one league game left, the Red Raiders will face either Utah or Baylor in the first round.