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1. Red Raider of the Game
In his final regular season game in Lubbock, Eric Gutierrez did not disappoint. Gute went 3-5 with 2 runs, a solo shot that jump started the Tech offense, and was perfect at 1st base. He also had a 2-out single in the 6th, scoring on Hargrove's 2-run double, putting the Red Raiders on top 7-6. Eric has been a fan favorite, starting every game of his 4-year career for Tech, and is a strong contender for Big 12 player of the year honors.
Watch: Gutierrez crushes a leadoff HR to start the 4th, his 12th HR of the season. #WreckEm https://t.co/b4PIjfz86Y
— Texas Tech Baseball (@TTU_Baseball) May 21, 2016
2. Play That Impacted the Game
In the top of the 9th, with game tied at 7, the first Mountaineer batter was hit by a pitch on a 1-2 count. The following batter would reach on a bunt that looked like it was going to roll foul initially but stopped moving before it could do so. This gave West Virginia 2 quick base runners before the Tech defense could get an out. After another bunt that was very well executed, a single to right scored the game winning run.
3. Stat of the Game
9. 9 West Virginia batters got a free pass, with 3 that were plunked and another 6 that walked. There were also 5 stolen bases, so that makes 14 bases that were handed out for free. It can be hard to limit run production when so many bases were given out.
4. Forgotten Play of the Game
After the Gute home run, a balk advanced another run in, cutting the lead to 5-3 in the bottom of the 4th. Garcia came up to the plate and took a ball to almost the same spot Gute had, scoring 2 and tying the game at 5. The sellout crowd erupted, and Tech took back the momentum after West Virginia had gone up 5-1 in the top half of the inning.
Watch: Tie Game! Garcia goes deep to LF to put today's sellout crowd back on its feet here in the 4th. #WreckEm https://t.co/ZcMxP6gELu
— Texas Tech Baseball (@TTU_Baseball) May 21, 2016
5. Big Reason Tech Lost the Game
Tech was not able to build a lead on the Mountaineers and couldn't keep them off base, and at the same time the pitchers couldn't build any momentum since so many bases were handed out. This series felt a lot like a postseason series and once you get a few games into a series, the quality of pitching can diminish. Tech is in a good spot heading to Oklahoma City and will be back on the field at 12:30 Wednesday afternoon to play Kansas St in the tournament.