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Flurry of extra-base hits leads No. 8 Baseball to 8-3 win over Texas Tech
03.27.2010 | Baseball
March 27, 2010
LUBBOCK, Texas -- The No. 8 Texas Longhorns racked up eight extra-base hits in an 8-3 win over the Texas Tech Red Raiders at Dan Law Field on Saturday evening.
The bottom of the batting order served as the catalyst for the Longhorns' offense. Russell Moldenhauer went 2-for-4 with one double and one run in the No. 7 spot in the order. Behind him, Tant Shepherd went 2-for-4 with two doubles, two runs and one RBI. Jordan Etier went 2-for-3 with one triple, two runs and two RBI.
For the second straight night, the Red Raiders pounced on the Horns for two runs in the bottom of the first inning. With one out, Joey Kenworthy singled through the right side. Michael Reed pushed him across with a double to the gap in right centerfield. Barrett Barnes followed with a double down the leftfield line to drive in Reed for the 2-0 lead.
Texas (17-6, 3-2 Big 12) knotted the game at 2-2 in the top of the third. Jordan Etier drew leadoff walk and stole second base. Cohl Walla tripled to the gap in left centerfield to plate Etier and Loy grounded out to second to push Walla across with the equalizer.
The Longhorns took their first lead of the game with three runs in the top of the fifth. With one out, Russell Moldenhauer hit a wall-banger to the gap in left centerfield. Tant Shepherd followed with a double to rightfield to drive in Moldenhauer for the go-ahead run. Etier singled up the middle to plate Shepherd, moved to second on a groundout by Walla and scored on a single by Loy for a 5-2 lead.
Texas Tech (12-13, 2-3 Big 12) trimmed a run off the lead in the bottom of the fifth when Kentworthy lifted a solo home run over the wall in rightfield.
Texas inflated the cushion back to three runs in the top of the sixth. With one out, Shepherd doubled to leftfield and Etier followed with an RBI triple to rightfield to stake the Horns to a 6-3 advantage.
In the top of the eighth, Kevin Lusson launched a titanic shot over the rightfield fence to balloon the lead to 7-3.
In addition to the bottom of the order, Walla helped spark the offense out of the leadoff spot, going 2-for-5 with one double, one triple, two runs and one RBI.
Kentworthy went 2-for-3 with one home run, two runs and one RBI to lead the Red Raiders. Reed went 2-for-3 with one double, one sacrifice bounty and one RBI.
Cole Green (5-0) earned the win for the Longhorns. The northpaw allowed three runs on eight hits and two walks while striking out three over 6.2 innings. Chance Ruffin entered the game with two outs and two runners in scoring position in the seventh and induced an inning-ending fly out. He worked 2.1 shutout innings, scattering one hit and two walks while striking out three. He increased his scoreless innings streak to 21.1 innings.
Bobby Doran (0-2) was saddled with the loss for the Red Raiders. He allowed six runs on 10 hits and two walks while striking out seven over 6.0 innings.
The Longhorns and Red Raiders wrap up the three-game series on Sunday with a 12:06 p.m. first pitch at Dan Law Field.
