Red Raiders’ 13-game home win streak halted Sunday
Provided by Texas Tech Athletics
LUBBOCK, Texas – The Red Raiders dropped their series finale to No. 23 Iowa on Sunday, 10-9, at Rip Griffin Park. The loss snaps Tech’s 13-game winning streak at home to start the season.
In spite of three errors, seven walks, one hit-by-pitch and the leadoff Hawkeye hitter reaching base five out of nine innings, the Red Raiders trailed by only one run to the No. 23 team in the nation in the bottom of the ninth with no outs.
“There were a lot of things that were frustrating,” said head coach Tim Tadlock. “Probably more than anything, it’s things that we could control within the game. We definitely had better days.”
Texas Tech hung a four on the scoreboard in the bottom of the third to take a 5-4 lead after falling behind early but it was short-lived as the Hawkeyes scored two the next half inning and never relinquished the lead again. Iowa scored at least one run in five of the first six innings.
The Red Raiders trailed 7-5 heading into the bottom of the sixth and powered their way to tie the game in the seventh, 7-7, thanks to solo home runs in each of the sixth and seventh innings. Dillon Carter provided the hit in the sixth while Kevin Bazzell did the same in the seventh. Both were leadoff hits.
Jase Lopez provided the first three-up, three-down frame in the top of the eighth inning for the Red Raiders on the mound. When it moved to the ninth, Iowa capitalized on a pair of infield errors, one against shortstop Cade McGarrh that entered the game in the ninth and third baseman Bazzell, coupled with three hits to help plate the go-ahead runs.
“I really think we’ve made plays, other than maybe today when you need to make them,” said Tadlock on the infield and if there are worries. “Again, these guys aren’t pros. Maybe we’re asking too much of a guy to come off the bench and go play. Those decisions are mine. Probably just want to keep guys in the flow of a game, I would say. But no, I don’t think it’s something to be worried about. I actually thought this weekend there were some good and some bad, but most of the time when we’ve had to do things we’ve done them.”
Tech made its best effort to rally back in the bottom half of the ninth. Bazzell drew a leadoff walk and Austin Green drove him home in the next at-bat with his third home run this season. Iowa retired the next three batters in a row, which included a pair of strikeouts.
Of the Red Raiders’ seven hits on Sunday, four were home runs. Gavin Kash hit his second home run in as many days during Tech’s four-run outburst in the third inning.
Ryan Free suffered the loss despite a pair of unearned runs in the ninth as the pitcher of record. Starter Kyle Robinson exited after three innings pitched as he struggled by allowing a leadoff batter on board three of the four innings he began. In total, six runs (five earned) were scored on his watch as four hits, two walks and a hit-by-pitch were tallied against him. Three of the four hits were multi-base hits, including a solo home run in the third. He tossed four strikeouts in the feast-or-famine stint.
Up Next
Action resumes for Texas Tech with a midweek two-game series against UT Arlington. It begins Tuesday with a 6:30 p.m. scheduled first pitch and concludes with a 2 p.m. game on Wednesday. Big 12 play is on the horizon as Oklahoma State visits Rip Griffin Park next weekend.
Copyright 2023 KCBD. All rights reserved.
