LUBBOCK, Texas – Ryan Shetter tossed 5.2 shutout innings in his first career start Saturday afternoon to help lead No. 10 Texas Tech to a 10-0 series-clinching victory over San Diego State at Dan Law Field at Rip Griffin Park.
The victory secured Tech’s fifth-consecutive weekend series victory as the Red Raiders (28-9) have won each of their past eight games and 11 straight at home. It is the longest winning streak since the Red Raiders recorded eight-consecutive victories from April 8-19, 2014.
Shetter (3-1) allowed just three hits and a walk while striking out a pair of Aztecs (10-22) before giving way to Parker Mushinski with two outs in the sixth inning. He is the fifth Red Raider freshman to start on the mound this season.
Shetter worked around a pair of early jams en route to the win as he overcame a two-out triple from Alan Trejo in the opening inning and then received a nice defensive play from Orlando Garcia to nail Chase Calabuig at the plate in the fourth. Calabuig led off the inning with a double before eventually trying to score from third on a ground ball just to Garcia’s left.
The Red Raiders maintained a two-run lead when Calabuig was called out at the plate. Tech extended its lead in the bottom half of the inning, however, as Stephen Smith and Tanner Gardner both grounded into RBI fielder’s choices.
It was one of four RBI from Smith, who finished 3-for-5 overall after a RBI double in the second and a two-run homer in the fifth. The home run was Smith’s team-leading eighth of the season which is currently tied for the Big 12 high as well.
Eric Gutierrez led off Tech’s six-run fifth inning with his seventh home run of the season as he sent an 0-1 pitch over the fence in left center. Gutierrez, who was 2-for-4 on the day as one of four Red Raiders with a multi-hit game, now has 30 home runs over his career, two shy of entering the top 10 in Tech history.
Gardner capped the inning, meanwhile, with a RBI triple to deep center field that bounded off the glove of a leaping David Hensley, who later bobbled the ball to allow Gardner to scamper all the way around to score.
Tech totaled 10 runs and 14 hits off a San Diego State pitching staff that used six relievers in place of starter Marcus Reyes. Reyes (0-4) suffered the loss after giving up four runs off seven hits and a pair of strikeouts in his 3.1 innings.
Michael Davis notched four of Tech’s hits, going 4-for-5 overall with three runs scored and a RBI. His four hits marked a career high as he had a pair of singles and two doubles, pushing his season total to 16 which is tied for the most in the Big 12.
Davis plated Tech’s first run of the afternoon with a RBI single in the second inning. He has now driven in a run in seven of the past eight games for a Red Raider offense that has scored in double digits three times over the past five contests.
The Red Raiders will look for their fourth-consecutive weekend sweep Sunday when the two teams wrap the series with an 11:30 a.m. first pitch.
Courtesy: Texas Tech Sports Information Department