FORT WORTH, Texas – No. 10 Texas Tech claimed its fifth Big 12 Conference series victory of the season Sunday afternoon as the Red Raiders limited No. 6 TCU to just six hits in a 3-1 victory at Lupton Stadium.
The Red Raiders (34-14; 14-4) used five strong innings from Ty Damron and four shutout frames from the bullpen to secure their first regular-season series victory against a top-10 ranked opponent on the road since Tech took two-of-three games at No. 10 Kansas State late in the 2009 campaign.
It also marked the third Big 12 road series win this season for the Red Raiders, who ended the weekend with a two-game lead in the Big 12 standings over Oklahoma State and a three-game advantage over TCU (30-12; 11-7).
Damron (4-1), making his first start in Big 12 play this season, put Tech in position to win the game early as the left-hander tossed five strong innings, scattering a run off four hits and four walks for his team-leading 10th career victory.
TCU scored its only run in the sixth inning following an Elliott Barzilli leadoff double off Damron that brought in Hayden Howard out of the bullpen. Barzilli came around to score later in the frame off a Tech throwing error.
Howard used a pair of double plays to shut down the Horned Frogs over the next 3.2 innings as he allowed just a Dane Steinhagen one-out single in the ninth to go along with two walks and a strikeout.
Parker Mushinski recorded Tech’s final out for his first career save as the left-hander forced pinch hitter Michael Landestoy to line out to Stephen Smith in right field with two Horned Frogs in scoring position in the ninth.
TCU stranded nine runners on base in the loss, seven of which that came early against Damron.
The Tech pitching staff was able to pitch with a lead for the majority of the game after the Red Raiders plated two runs in the third off a Hunter Hargrove RBI ground out and a sacrifice fly from Eric Gutierrez.
Tyler Floyd got Tech rolling earlier in the inning as he drew one of seven walks issued by TCU. Smith followed with a double down the left-field line, his 14th already this season, to bring Hargrove to the plate.
Tech totaled six hits off the Horned Frogs, three of which that came off the bat of Tyler Neslony, who notched his second multi-hit game in as many days after finishing 3-for-4 overall. Neslony closed the series with a team-leading .636 average (7-for-11).
TCU starter Rex Hill (2-3) took the loss for the Horned Frogs after allowing all three runs off four hits, five walks and a pair of strikeouts. He was relieved by Sean Wymer with two outs in the fifth inning as Wymer and Durbin Feltman combined to toss 4.1 shutout innings out of the bullpen.
The Red Raiders will take four days off before continuing Big 12 play with its final road series of the season next weekend at Kansas. The series gets underway with a 6 p.m. first pitch Friday evening in Lawrence.
Courtesy: Texas Tech Sports Information Department
