Red Raider baseball run rules No. 12 OSU, clinches series

Provided by Texas Tech Athletics

LUBBOCK, Texas – No. 22 Texas Tech run-ruled No. 12 Oklahoma State, 12-1 in seven innings, on Sunday afternoon at Rip Griffin Park. The victory clinched the series win for the Red Raiders in a rubber match after winning Friday’s Big 12 opener.

“That right there was a really good team,” said senior outfielder Nolen Hester. “Coach Tadlock talked to us last night [after the loss] and was telling us that championship teams win on Sundays. You win your series on Sundays or you sweep on Sundays. We came out with the mindset of if we want to be a championship team, we got to go out and win on Sunday.”

It took one inning to make the difference this Sunday as the Red Raiders poured on 10 runs in the fifth inning. Tech grabbed a 12-1 lead after 16 batters were sent to the plate. Tech had 10 hits in the frame, arguably none bigger than Austin Green’s grand slam. Green also hit an RBI single later in the inning to give him five RBIs – setting a new season-high.

“This lineup, up and down, has talent all the way around,” said Green. “Three really competitive at-bats before me gets the bases loaded … sat slider, got one up in the zone, and put a good swing on it,” he added about the grand slam.

The 10 runs in the fifth were the most scored by the Red Raiders in a single inning this season, besting eight runs scored in a single inning twice this season (vs. No. 23 Iowa, March 10/Western Illinois, Feb. 26). It’s the most scored in a single inning overall since rattling off a school record 16 versus New Mexico on March 15, 2022.

Hudson White joined Green by logging a pair of hits in the fifth inning, he doubled as the inning’s leadoff hitter and later singled. Meanwhile, Damian Bravo joined Green in knocking a fifth-inning home run as he remains red hot from the plate hitting a home run in three-straight starts.

The series win marks Tech’s fifth straight against Oklahoma State and the 11-run margin of victory is the largest in the all-time series that dates back to 1983.

The 12-1 victory, for the Red Raiders’ pitching staff, marked the least amount of runs allowed to the Cowboys in a game since a 5-1 win back on April 8, 2016.

Taber Fast made his third career start for Texas Tech – his first since March 5 versus Texas A&M. Fast tossed 3 2/3 innings while Brandon Beckel (2.1 IP) and Ryan Free (1.0 IP) pitched the remainder of the game. The trio allowed four hits as a staff – the fewest a Tech pitching staff has allowed in a game since May 25, 2022, versus Kansas State.

Up Next

The Red Raiders will be on the road next, taking on Big 12 foe Texas in Austin, March 24-26. It is the Red Raiders’ next scheduled game as it is the first week this season that does not include a midweek contest. The next time that happens follows a road game on Sunday, April 30 with a break until May 5-7 for a weekend series at home.

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