The No. 5 Texas Tech baseball team secured the series win over Kansas behind a 10-0 shutout on Saturday afternoon at Hoglund Ballpark.
The Red Raiders (26-6, 5-3) picked up a game two victory after recording 10 runs on 14 hits against the Jayhawks (17-13, 2-6). On the flip side, Tech held Kansas scoreless for the second time this season & to its lowest hit total of 2018 (four), all singles.
It is the fourth shutout by the Red Raiders this season, the most since 2016, when that squad put up five clean scores.
Freshman outfielder Cody Masters notched his first four-hit performance of his collegiate career and fourth by a Red Raider this season. The Coppell native had one of six Tech doubles on the day, while driving in three RBI and scoring two runs.
Sophomore outfielder Grant Little and junior infielder Cameron Warren also had multi-hit day at the plate, tallying three and two, respectively. It marked back-to-back contests Tech had registered more than 10 hits & 10 runs from the plate
Sophomore right-handed pitcher Caleb Kilian improved to 4-1 this season after tossing 5.0 innings on Saturday afternoon. The Flower Mound native allowed just two hits & a walk against the Jayhawks, while ringing up a career-high eight strikeouts. Kilian has now won both of his conference starts.
Junior righty Ryan Shetter relieved Kilian in the sixth and pitched three scoreless frames, allowing just two hits & striking out five. Senior RHP Jose Quezada closed out the final inning with 10 pitches and a strikeout to end the game.
The Red Raiders struck first in the opening frame, plating two for an early 2-0 lead. Tech put two baserunners on with a one-out double from Jung and a walk to Little, then the duo moved into scoring position on a strikeout. All it took was a double to the gap in right-center field from Warren to easily score the two and give Tech the first inning advantage.
Three-straight singles to begin the second inning added to the Red Raider lead. Sophomore catcher Clay Koelzer & junior outfielder Cody Farhat opened the frame with knocks, then Masters drove home Koelzer with one up the middle for the third run of the day. The next two runs came via RBI groundouts from Jung & Little, with the runs made possible by heads up baserunning from Farhat & Masters on a relay from the outfield.
Tech scored for the third-straight inning with two more in the third to build the advantage to 7-0. Warren kicked off the frame with a solo homer over the left-center field wall for the first run of the inning. It was Warren’s sixth dinger of the season.
Shortly after, Masters sent his second RBI single up the middle, driving in senior designated hitter Zach Rheams, who sent a book-rule double over the right-center field fence, to make it 7-0.
In the sixth inning, Tech its eighth run of the day on Jung’s second RBI groundout of the game. In the seventh, Masters posted his fourth hit of the afternoon on a single to left-center field, plating Fulford, who walked earlier in the frame, to push the lead to 9-0. Fulford would score again in the ninth on a wild pitch after doubling to begin the inning, bringing the total to its final at 10-0.
The Red Raiders wrap the season series with Kansas on Sunday, April 8, at 1 p.m. at Hoglund Ballpark.
(Courtesy: Texas Tech Sports Communications Department)
