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Texas Tech baseball: Dylan Neuse’s grand slam lifts Red Raiders over Kentucky

By Matthew Conner

OMAHA, NE - JUNE 26: A general view of a baseball on the field during batting practice before game one of the College World Series Championship Series between the Arkansas Razorbacks and the Oregon State Beavers on June 26, 2018 at TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha, Nebraska. (Photo by Peter Aiken/Getty Images)
OMAHA, NE - JUNE 26: A general view of a baseball on the field during batting practice before game one of the College World Series Championship Series between the Arkansas Razorbacks and the Oregon State Beavers on June 26, 2018 at TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha, Nebraska. (Photo by Peter Aiken/Getty Images) /
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The Texas Tech baseball team used a familiar formula Saturday to rally past Kentucky in Saturday’s 10-7 win to clinch the three-game weekend series.

Tim Tadlock’s Texas Tech baseball is nothing if not resilient.  That’s because in all five of their victories this year, the Red Raiders have had to overcome multiple-run deficits.  Saturday, Tech overcame a a three-run deficit to take game-two of its three-game series with Kentucky 10-7 on another windy day in Lubbock.

And just like in Tech’s 7-4 win in Friday’s series-opener, it was a 6-run inning that propelled the Red Raiders to victory.  Trailing 5-2 in the bottom of the fifth, Tech sent eleven hitters to the plate scoring six runs on five hits.  Friday, it was a six-run sixth inning that propelled the home team to a win.

The big blow was a grand slam by sophomore left fielder Dylan Neuse to put the home team up 8-4.  It was one of two homers on the day for the Flower Mound, Texas native who hit a solo shot in the second inning to give Tech a 2-1 advantage.

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In all, six Red Raiders had extra-base hits on an afternoon built for offense with the winds whipping out to left field.  Eight Red Raiders had at least one hit with Neuse, Cam Warren and Tanner O’Tremba each collecting a pair.

On the mound, it was another uneven performance for a Texas Tech pitching staff still trying to round into form and sort out defined roles for each pitcher.  Caleb Kilian made his second start of the season and was better than in the season opener.  He went 4.1 innings allowing three runs on six hits while striking out four and walking one.

But when he left in the top of the fifth, he had given up only one run.  Unfortunately, John McMillon and Ryan Keesee allowed two inherited runners to score while recording just one out between them.  But outside of the fifth inning, Tech held Kentucky in check.

Hunter Dobbins picked up the win after recording the final out of the fifth to get the Red Raiders back to the plate down only three runs.  Dave Haveman and Clayton Beeter each pitched two innings down the stretch with Haveman allowing one run and Beeter retiring six of the seven hitters he faced to pick up his second save of the season.

Tech moved to 5-1 on the season by clinching the series with the Wildcats ahead of Sunday’s 1 pm finale.  Freshman lefty Mason Montgomery from Leander, Texas will make his second start of the season in game-three.  In his Red Raider debut, he threw four innings allowing three runs on six hits in a 6-4 Red Raider victory over Oregon.

Next. Texas Tech baseball rallies past Kentucky in game one. dark

Hopefully, he can avoid the same pitfall that has ensnared so many Red Raider pitchers thus far in 2019, the big inning.  But if he doesn’t, at least we can take solace in knowing that this team is already used to coming from behind.

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