RECAP: Red Raiders take series from #23 Iowa

Over the weekend, Texas Tech Baseball took their weekend series 2 games to 1 over the #23 Iowa Hawkeyes at Dan Law Field. The Red Raiders won game one by a score of 17-5, game two 8-3 and fell in game three 10-9.

Game 1

Friday- The Red Raiders were in control from the bottom of the second and never looked back. Iowa scored one run in the top of the frame, however Dillon Carter homered to left field, his first of two round-trippers of the game to put Tech up 3-1. Carter homered for a second three-run shot to left field, putting a cap on an 8-run 5th inning for Tech, at the time putting the Red Raiders up 14-3. Drew Woodcox also went yard in this one, a 2-run moonshot to left over the guard shack that made it 16-5. Will Burns had a double and a triple in this one, but again the story was Dillon Carter, who went 2-for-3 with 2 HRs and 6 RBIs.

Texas Tech Athletics

On the mound, Brendan Girton got the start and went 3 innings, giving up 3 hits and 2 earned runs. Texas Tech ended up using 6 pitchers in this game, not because of struggles, but to get some guys some game time that could be used in conference play. Sanders, Free, Rogers, Lysik, and Coombes finished this one out, with Ryan Free getting the win after throwing 2 innings, giving up one hit and striking out 4 Iowa batters.

Final: Tech wins 17-5.

Game 2

Saturday- Iowa threw their most talented pitcher in Brody Brecht at the Red Raiders. Earlier this year, Brecht shut down #1 LSU in a start in Round Rock. However, Brecht didn’t have the same success in Lubbock. Now don’t get me wrong, the kid is uber talented. He touches 102 on the gun and his slider has serious bite. He could be the top pitcher in the Big 10 this year, and could be one of the best pitchers Tech sees all year. In this one though, Brecht got the loss after going 5.2 IP giving up 3 hits and 2 runs, both earned. He walked three and struck out seven Red Raiders, while throwing a whopping 106 pitches.

Mason Molina went to the bump for Tech and continued to be the most stable starter for the Red Raiders so far this season. In other words, he did Mason Molina things. He went 5 IP 4 H 1 R 0 ER 1 BB 7 K on 87 pitches.

Texas Tech Athletics

Brandon Beckel came in and got the win for the Red Raiders in yet another clutch relief appearance. Brandon has definitely been a welcome surprise this season out of the bullpen and has made himself a staple of stability in a bullpen that has had some command issues. Beckel was followed by a 2 inning save from sophomore Trendan Parish.

At the dish, Dylan Maxcey homered, his first of his career, and Gavin Kash hit one over the scoreboard- not kidding- a 487 foot BOMB that was one of the farthest home runs I’ve seen hit at Dan Law.

Prior to that homer in the 8th, Tech was up by one run in the 7th, when freshman Tracer Lopez hit a 2 RBI triple in the right center gap, pushing the Tech lead to 4-1. I would be a terrible part time fan site blogger if I didn’t mention the fact that Texas Tech attempted two steals of home in this one. Hudson White was called safe, then the call was overturned after review. But Gage Harrelson was successful. Take a look:

An all around good effort from the good guys and 6 runs in the final two frames for Tech make the score look a little more lopsided than the game actually was.

Final: Tech wins 8-3.

Game 3

Sunday- Kyle Robinson got the nod in the finale with Tech looking to sweep the series. Robinson got roughed up over 3 innings of work, giving up 6 runs, 5 earned on 4 hits while walking 2 and striking out 4. The Red Raiders used 7 pitchers in this one, as the main theme for the staff was control issues. Other than Andrew Devine and Jase Lopez, the relief appearances were sort of all over the place, some pitchers, such as Ryan Free who got the loss, were not even at fault for the run they allowed. Taber Fast threw 0.1 innings but walked 3 batters. Ryan Free got the loss as I mentioned earlier, but the main difference was an error by Cade McGarrh who subbed in to play short after Zac Vooletich pinch hit for Tracer Lopez in the 8th.

Texas Tech Athletics

At the plate, Texas Tech did everything to keep this game close at the dish, including responding to the 3 run frame by Iowa in the top of the 9th with a 2-run shot by Austin Green in the bottom of the 9th. Gavin Kash homered for the second consecutive day in the 3rd to give Tech a 5-4 lead. Dillon Carter and Kevin Bazzell homered as well.

However, the 9th inning was one to forget. Tech gave up three runs to Iowa on an error mentioned earlier, and lost star center fielder Dillon Carter to injury on a diving attempt to catch a ball in the right center gap. Carter laid out just shy of the track heading for the wall and after landing on his stomach, slid full speed into the wall, looking like he trapped that left wrist and/or hand underneath the gap between the turf and padding on the wall. Carter left the game in considerable pain after being tended to by the training staff. His status is unknown as Tim Tadlock said postgame he will get x-rays done today (Monday).

Final: 10-9 Iowa.

All of this comes on the heels of Ty Coleman re-tweaking his hamstring that gave him issues last season, Austin Green playing through a hamstring injury, and Will Burns being unavailable after being lifted after just 1 inning on Saturday, most likely due to illness.

Tech is already without Travis Sanders, Jack Washburn, Derek Bridges, Bo Blessie, and now Carter for what appears to be significant time. Bridges was predicted to return for conference play, which starts this weekend against #12 Oklahoma State at Dan Law Field.

But before that, the Red Raiders take on UT-Arlington in a two game midweek series at home on Tuesday & Wednesday this week. Tim Tadlock has not named starters for those games as of yet.

These two games are the final tune up for an intense start to conference play as Tech plays two of the top three teams in the first three weeks in Oklahoma State and TCU, Tech being the other top 3 team, will take on Texas in Austin in between those two series.

UP NEXT:

Texas Tech vs. UT-Arlington

Tuesday 3/14 @ Dan Law Field. 6:30 p.m.

ESPN+/ Texas Tech Sports Radio Network

Texas Tech vs. UT-Arlington

Wednesday 3/15 @ Dan Law Field. 2:00 p.m.

ESPN+/ Texas Tech Sports Radio Network