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Texas Tech Baseball Beats Duke; One Win From College World Series

By Matthew Conner

STILLWATER, OK - SEPTEMBER 25: The Texas Tech Red Raiders flag flies outside the stadium before the game against the Oklahoma State Cowboys September 25, 2014 at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, Oklahoma. The Cowboys defeated the Red Raiders 45-35. (Photo by Brett Deering/Getty Images)
STILLWATER, OK - SEPTEMBER 25: The Texas Tech Red Raiders flag flies outside the stadium before the game against the Oklahoma State Cowboys September 25, 2014 at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, Oklahoma. The Cowboys defeated the Red Raiders 45-35. (Photo by Brett Deering/Getty Images) /
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Saturday, the Texas Tech baseball team knocked off Duke 6-4 in game one of the Super Regional putting the Red Raiders one win away from the College World Series.

In game one of the Lubbock Super Regional, Texas Tech and Duke saw the strength of both teams go head-to-head.  In the end, the powerful and relentless Red Raider lineup wore down the vaunted Blue Devil bullpen in a 6-4 win putting the Texas Tech baseball program one win away from its third College World Series appearance.

Trailing 3-0 in the fifth and 4-3 in the seventh, Texas Tech was faced with having to claw back against a Duke bullpen that has a collective ERA under 3.00.   After managing just two runs in five innings off of Duke starter Mitch Stallings, who entered the game with an ERA of 5.88, Tech scored in each of its final three innings to secure the comeback win.

In the sixth, Cam Warren scored on a fielder’s choice off the bat of Gabe Holt to knot the game at three.  Then, in the seventh, Zach Rheams tied the game at four with a solo homer to right.  The Red Raider designated hitter has been one of the most clutch hitters in the nation this postseason with four home runs in the NCAA Tournament.

While Rheams’ long ball seemed to awaken the record crowd of 4,818 at Rip Griffin Park, two huge hits in the eighth inning sent the Red Raider faithful into a frenzy.  A single by Holt scored Cody Farhat to put Tech ahead 5-4 and a Brian Klein double in the next at-bat brought Holt home to give the Red Raiders the final margin.

On the mound, the Texas Tech bullpen was the better of the two relief staffs despite being far less heralded than Duke’s.  After a blister forced Red Raider starter Dylan Dusek out of the game in the second inning, Ryan Shetter came on to toss 4.2 innings allowing just two runs.

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Jose Quezada allowed a run in 1.2 inning of work before Ty Harpenau came on to get the save by pitching a scoreless ninth.  But though Harpenau was not touched for a run, he made two miscues that caused Texas Tech fans to endure a stressful last frame.

After hitting the first batter of the inning and misplaying a tapper in front of home plate, Harpenau had runners on the corners with only one away.  Fortunately, the senior induced a 4-6-3 double play off the bat of Chris Proctor to end the game.

The win was the fifth Super Regional Victory for the Red Raiders in six all-time games.  Now Tech is a win away from Omaha and has put itself in an advantageous position.

The team that wins the opening game of a Super Regional has advanced almost 80% of the time since the current format began in 1999.  What’s more, Tech has proven that it can produce runs off of the strength of the Blue Devil pitching staff, the relief corps.

It is fair to wonder if Saturday’s come-from-ahead loss will shake Duke’s confidence.  No Blue Devil starter has an ERA below 5.00 making it seem unlikely the Blue Devil starters can repeat Stallings’ game one effort and if Duke is unable to count on its bullpen to keep Texas Tech at bay, there do not seem to be many answers for the program looking to return to Omaha for the first time in 57 years.

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Sunday, Texas Tech will send its best starter, Caleb Kilian (9-1, 2.39 ERA) to the mound with a chance to sweep the Lubbock Regional.  Duke has yet to announce a starter but the options are less than inspiring.  And if the Texas Tech offense continues to stay hot, it may not matter who Duke puts on the mound.

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