STILLWATER, Okla. – No. 19 Texas Tech scored a pair of runs in the first inning Saturday afternoon and never looked back as the Red Raiders cruised to an 8-2 victory over No. 16 Oklahoma State at Allie P. Reynolds Stadium.

The series-clinching victory extended Tech’s winning streak in Big 12 play to nine straight, the longest such run in program history. It is also matches the sixth-longest conference winning streak in Big 12 history as Kansas was the last team to win at least nine straight in 2014.

The Red Raiders (23-9; 10-1), whose 10-1 start to league play is the best in school history and the best for a Big 12 program since Baylor (18-0) in 2012, recorded a season-high 17 hits in the victory as 11 different players, including all nine starters, had at least one hit.

Cory Raley led the Red Raiders at the plate, finishing 4-for-5 overall with four RBI after plating a run off singles in each of the first, third and fifth innings. He capped the day with a RBI triple in the ninth that rolled all the way into the left-field corner, allowing Tanner Gardner to score easily from first.

The performance marked the second time this season and the third time in Raley’s career where he has recorded four hits in a game. His four RBI also matched his career high that was set earlier this year at both California (March 12) and UNLV (March 29).

Gardner plated Tech’s first run of the day with a RBI double that looped into right center in the opening frame. It was the first of two hits on the day for Gardner, who was 2-for-3 with a pair of walks for his team-leading 15th multi-hit game this season.

Stephen Smith and Tyler Neslony joined Gardner with multi-hit games as the duo each finished 2-for-4 overall. Both of Neslony’s hits went for doubles as he narrowly missed on home runs in both the fourth and eighth innings.

For the second-straight day, the early lead benefited the Tech pitching staff as Steven Gingery, Robert Dugger and Hayden Howard combined to limit the Cowboys (19-11; 4-4) to just a Dustin Williams RBI single in the fourth and a Colin Simpson home run in the eighth.

Dugger (3-0) picked up the win in relief as he allowed just a run off four hits and three strikeouts in his 3.1 innings. Dugger has now received the win in three of Tech’s last five games dating back to the Kansas State series finale.

Gingery was equally effective as the left-hander surrendered just one run off five hits and four strikeouts in his four complete innings. Howard, meanwhile, retired all four Cowboys he faced in his 1.2 innings to close the game.

Oklahoma State starter Trey Cobb (3-5) took the loss for the Cowboys after giving up four runs off nine hits and three strikeouts in his 4.1 innings. Michael Mertz replaced Cobb in the fifth as the first in three Cowboy relievers.

The Red Raiders will look for the series sweep – their first over a ranked opponent since 2002 – Sunday afternoon in a 1 p.m. first pitch. The series finale will air nationally on FOX College Sports.

Courtesy: Texas Tech Sports Information Department