Stephen Smith blasted two home runs Sunday afternoon while Robert Dugger provided 3.2 solid innings of relief as No. 22 Texas Tech held on to complete the series sweep of Kansas State with a 6-5 victory at Dan Law Field at Rip Griffin Park.
The series sweep is the second for the Red Raiders (20-8; 8-1) in as many weeks as Tech improved to 8-1 in Big 12 play, marking its best start in school history. Tech had not previously swept back-to-back conference series since topping both K-State (12-17; 0-6) and Oklahoma during the 2014 season.
The Red Raiders have won each of their last seven Big 12 games, marking the longest winning streak against conference foes since Tech rolled off eight-consecutive wins from April 13-May 19 during the 2002 season.
Smith scored Tech’s final two runs with his pair of home runs, the first of which that led off the fourth inning. It was the first career multi-home run game for Smith, who finished 2-for-5 overall after connecting on another solo shot with one out in the sixth.
Smith leads the team with seven home runs this season, three of which that came during the K-State series. He is the fourth Red Raider to record a multi-home run game already this year, joining the likes of Tyler Neslony, Cory Raley and Orlando Garcia.
His home run in the sixth inning proved to be the difference as K-State plated three runs in the fifth and then another in the ninth before Ryan Moseley pitched Tech out of the jam with his second save this season.
Moseley inherited two runners in scoring position with just one out in the ninth but induced a pair of ground balls to second baseman Michael Davis to preserve the lead, improving Tech to 19-0 this season when leading after eight innings.
Dugger (1-0) earned his first career win after allowing just a run off four hits and three strikeouts in his 3.2 innings of relief of starter Ty Harpenau. Harpenau recorded his best start in Big 12 play as he went four complete innings, giving up a run off two hits and two strikeouts during that time.
Tech plated four runs in the third inning alone, two of which that were charged to K-State starter Corey Fischer (1-3), who suffered the loss after surrendering two runs (one earned) off four hits and three strikeouts in his 2.2 innings.
Garcia broke the game open with a two-run double down the left-field line in the third, giving Tech an early four-run lead. Garcia finished 2-for-3 overall with two RBI, marking his seventh multi-hit game this season and fifth already in Big 12 play.
The Red Raiders return to the road this week as Tech will play five games over the next seven days. That stretch begins Tuesday night when Tech opens its midweek series at No. 7 Florida State with a 5 p.m. CT first pitch.
(Release Provided by Texas Tech Athletics Department)
