No. 5 Texas Tech defeated East Carolina 3-1 in thirteen innings to keep the Red Raiders season alive.
It is a winner take all game on Sunday between Texas Tech and ECU.
In the top of the thirteenth inning, Tech senior first baseman Eric Gutierrez hit a two RBI single up the middle to give Texas Tech the 3-1 lead.
Recap:
The Matadors are the visiting team today and will hit in the top of the innings.
Texas Tech & ECU both got a runner on first base in the first inning but couldn’t drive them in.
In the second inning, Zach Davis got to second base, but Tyler Floyd is unable to drive the run in with two outs. The Red Raiders turned their first double play of the day to get out of the bottom half of the frame.
Orlando Garcia made it all the way over to third base with two outs, when Tanner Gardner grounded out to second base to end the threat.
Steven Gingery has three strikeouts through three innings of play.
Michael Davis brought in Tyler Neslony on an infield hit(helped by an errant throw by ECU) to put Tech on the scoreboard for the first run of the ball game.
In the fifth, the Red Raiders had two on, two out, but Cory Raley rocketed a liner right at the third baseman for the third out of the inning.
Tech turned their third double play of the contest to end the bottom half of the fifth inning.
Floyd and Garcia are retired in the sixth inning with runners in scoring position.
The Pirates tied the game at 1 with a sacrifice fly-out to left field, after Steven Gingery leaves the game.
Gingery’s line for the day: 5 IP, 5H, 1R(earned), 5K & 2 BB.
A costly base running error cost the Red Raiders a chance to get another runner into scoring position, as Zach Davis ran through a stop sign on his way to third base. The speedster was thrown out, trying to advance from first to third on an errant pick-off throw.
In what may have been the play of the game, Floyd was called ‘out’ at the plate for the final out of the top of the ninth inning when replay showed the catcher didn’t apply the tag in time.
Robert Dugger came in the game with no outs and two runners on to retire the next three batters and put the game into extra innings.
Extra Innings:
The Red Raiders & Pirates are retired in order in the top of the tenth inning.
ECU’s Dwayna Williams-Sutton makes a diving grab to keep Eric Gutierrez from driving in the go-ahead run(or possibly put more runners in scoring position).
Then in the thirteenth inning, the Red Raiders finally broke through. With the bases loaded, Gutierrez hit a two RBI single up the middle to give Texas Tech the 3-1 lead. In the bottom of the frame, the Red Raiders hung on to force a game three.
With a Red Raiders win, it would force a Game 3 on Sunday at 2pm for a chance to advance to the College World Series.
For highlights and postgame reaction, tune in to KAMC & Red Raider Nation at 6 & 10.