Four different Red Raiders went yard, but Texas Tech dropped both games of Wednesday’s doubleheader at UTSA, falling 3-2 in nine innings in game one and 6-3 in game two at Roadrunner Field in San Antonio.

The Red Raiders move to 17-31 on the season with a 4-14 mark in Big 12 play, while the Roadrunners improve to 21-32 overall with a 9-15 record in Conference USA.

In game one, Texas Tech outhit the Roadrunners 7-5 with six Red Raiders recording hits and two going yard. Solo home runs from senior Devon Thomey in the fifth and freshman Raina O’Neal in the seventh erased a 2-0 deficit, before the Roadrunners took the win in the ninth. For O’Neal, it was her second go-ahead or game-tying home run with two outs in the seventh inning this season, and it was also her 12th of the season, which moves her back into a tie for the Big 12 lead. 

The game went into extra innings, where UTSA was able to secure the win in the bottom of the ninth thanks to a single, sacrifice bunt, groundout to the right and another single up the middle.

After freshman pitcher Kassidy Scott earned the start and pitched three solid innings, junior Cheyene Powell threw 4.1 impressive innings in relief, yielding just one hit while walking two and striking out a pair. Senior Mattison Maisel entered in the bottom of the ninth and is credited with the loss.

In game two, senior Kierra Miles launched the second pitch of the game over the left field fence for her fifth home run of the season and 37th of her career, giving Tech a 1-0 lead and moving into sole possession of second place on the school’s all-time home runs list.

UTSA, however, struck back in the bottom of the frame with a solo shot of their own, and went on to tack on a pair of runs in the third and another in the fifth for a 4-1 advantage.

The bats came alive for Tech in the top of the sixth. After a leadoff single from Thomey, sophomore Jessica Hartwell crushed a home run to right field to cut the lead to 4-3. 

The Roadrunners answered with a pair of runs in the bottom of the sixth, extending their lead to 6-3 where it would stay.

UP NEXT

The Red Raiders wrap up their regular season Saturday-Sunday at the Ram Classic in Fort Collins, Colo. Tech will play a pair of games against both Colorado State and South Dakota while learning its fate for the Big 12 Championships depending on the result of the Kansas-Iowa State series this weekend.

(Courtesy: Texas Tech Athletics Communications Department)