The Red Raiders trailed by just one run entering the final inning of both games Saturday before falling victim to big innings as Tech fell 8-0 in six innings to No. 10 Alabama and 13-4 to UCF.

The Crimson Tide (12-2) turned what was a 1-0 ballgame through five innings into an 8-0 win thanks to a seven-run sixth inning. In the next bout, the Red Raiders trailed 5-4 entering the top of the seventh when the Knights tallied eight runs to extend their lead to nine.

Senior pitcher Mattison Maisel was sensational for the Red Raiders against the Crimson Tide through five innings,  giving up just one run on four hits with five strikeouts.

“I thought we played better against Alabama today than we played against UCF tonight,” head coach Adrian Gregory said. “Alabama can hit, so we walked a lot of their batters on purpose. I think Mattison (Maisel) through an excellent game for us (against Alabama). Tonight, we let the momentum totally take us, and we did not play our style of ball. UCF played the game very well, and we did not.”

The Tech offense was held at bay for the second straight outing against Alabama, as Tide starter Sydney Johnson pitched 5.2 innings and gave up just two hits while striking out eight. Senior Brittany Warnecke recorded Tech’s first hit in the contest in the fifth inning with a line drive over the short stop into left field, and Ramsey would later add the second hit in the sixth inning following a Thomey hit-by-pitch.

Alabama’s big inning started with a leadoff single and sac bunt to move the runner to second. The next batter connected on an RBI triple to make it 2-0. Then, with the meat of the lineup coming up, Maisel intentionally walked the bases loaded. Bama singled in a run, then benefited from a pair of bases-loaded walks before a two-run double brought home the deciding runs.

In the second game, Texas Tech found itself in a 4-0 hole after three innings, but freshman Raina O’Neal smashed her team-leading fifth home run of the season over the centerfield wall to get the Red Raiders on the board in the fourth inning. The next inning, a three-run triple off the wall in right field by sophomore Kiani Ramsey would cut the deficit to 5-4.

That’s where the score stayed until the top of the seventh when UCF (6-5) plated seven runs off six well-placed singles, a double, two walks and one Red Raider error. Freshman Kassidy Scott gets the loss after giving up five runs, three of which were earned, on eight hits through 4.1 innings. Maisel and freshman Hannah Broseman combined for 2.2 innings of relief.

The Red Raiders fall to 7-7 overall and 1-3 at the Easton Bama bash. They’ll close out the event Sunday against Gardner-Webb at 11 a.m. CST. The Red Raiders beat the Runnin’ Bulldogs, 6-5, on Friday.

 

POST-GAME NOTES

Alabama

·       Texas Tech fell to 2-4 all-time versus the Crimson Tide with a pair of losses this weekend.

·       The run-rule loss was Tech’s first of the season.

·       The loss moves the Red Raiders to 1-2 against Top 25 teams this season.

·       The Red Raiders played errorless softball for the fourth time this season.

·       Senior pitcher Mattison Maisel made her second start of the season, and fell to 3-2 in 2017 with the loss.

·       Senior Brittany Warnecke went 1-2 in the contest.

·       Seven of Maisel’s 10 walks were intentional.

 

UCF

·        UCF’s 13 runs and 15 hits are the most by a Red Raider opponent this season.

·        Tech’s current three-game skid is its longest of the season.

·        Saturday marked the first time this season Tech has dropped multiple games on the same day.

·        Tech committed three errors in the game, marking the third time this season with at least three errors.

·        Freshman Kassidy Scott, who leads the staff in games started with five, fell to 3-4 in her career.

·        Freshman Raina O’Neal’s solo shot in the fourth inning was her team-leading fifth of the season.

·        Sophomore Kiani Ramsey’s triple in the fifth inning marked her first of the season, and her three RBI tied a career high.

·        Junior Allison Knopp recorded her first hit of the season in the fifth inning.

·        Senior Ashley Fultz followed Knopp’s hit with her team-leading seventh base on balls of the season.

·        Sophomore Kiana Workman recorded her first stolen base of the season in the fifth inning.