Tech splits day two of Jeannine McHaney Memorial Classic

Provided by Texas Tech Athletics

LUBBOCK, Texas (NEWS RELEASE) – Led by a pair of home runs from Peyton Blythe, Texas Tech split day two of the Jeannine McHaney Memorial Classic Friday night at Rocky Johnson Field.

The Red Raiders (14-7) downed Seton Hall (5-6) in the night cap, 5-3, after suffering a loss to Rutgers (14-3), 8-4, in the opening game of the day.

Tech rocketed seven home runs throughout the two contests (Blythe (2), Alanna Barraza, Makinzy Herzog, Abbie Orrick, Kennedy Crites and Carson Armijo).

Game One: Rutgers 8, Texas Tech 3

Rutgers jumped on the board first in the top of the opening frame when a pair of walks and a hit by pitch set up Katie Wingert for an RBI ground out.

The Scarlet Knights added to their lead as Kirsten Withstandley scored on a wild pitch after leading off the frame with a walk. After a hit by pitch, a Ryann Orange single plated a second run for Rutgers.

However, the Red Raiders punched right back with a trio of solo home runs in the bottom of the second to knot the game up at three. Blythe led off the second with a long ball over the right-center wall, her fifth of the season.

One batter later, Alanna Barraza went to the plate with one-out and monstered the first pitch she saw over the same spot in right center. A fly out sent Makinzy Herzog to the plate with two outs, where she blasted a home run again over the exact same spot in the right-center to tie the game.

After a quiet third frame, the Scarlet Knights plated five runs in the top of the fourth to take the decisive 8-3 lead. The Tech pitchers issued four walks and allowed one hit during the inning.

Olivia Rains (1-2) suffered the loss after issuing the leadoff walk that came around to score.

Abbie Orrick looked to make things interesting in the home half of the seventh, rocketing a solo shot to bring the deficit to four, but Tech was not able to make the comeback.

Game Two: Texas Tech 5, Seton Hall 3

Blythe got Tech on the board early with a two-run shot over the dead center wall in the bottom of the second inning. After a walk put Barraza aboard, Kennedy Crites smashed her first home run of the season to hang a four-spot in the second.

The Pirates answered with a long ball of their own in the top of the third, but Kendall Fritz (4-1) retired the next three straight to avoid any more damage.

Tech’s home run frenzy continued in the bottom of the fourth as Carson Armijo torched a payoff pitch and sent it out of the park to give the Red Raiders a 5-1 lead. However, a fielding error set up Kelsey Carr for a sacrifice fly to cut the deficit back to three.

Rains (SV 1) checked in for starter Fritz in the top of the of the sixth and quickly found herself in some danger after a lead off sing. Rains retired the next batter via strikeout, but a wild pitch and a single put runners on the corners. Erin Howard then knocked in a run with an RBI ground before Rains forced the third out of the inning.

Rains returned in the top of the seventh, working around a pair of hits to second the 5-3 win for the Red Raiders. The Pryor, Oklahoma native earned her first save of the season after entering with a three-run lead and scattering four hits. Fritz picked up her fourth win of the season in her 5.0 innings of work. She allowed just one earned run and fanned four batters.

Next Up

The Red Raiders return action with the same schedule as today, taking on Rutgers at 3 p.m. and Seton Hall at 5:30 p.m.