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Texas Tech baseball: Five heroes of Red Raiders’ regional win

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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(Photo by Peter Aiken/Getty Images)
(Photo by Peter Aiken/Getty Images) /

RHP – Taylor Floyd

On Saturday, Texas Tech sent its top starter, Caleb Kilian, to the mound.  But after a strong first four innings, he failed to get out of the fifth inning and was lifted after giving up two runs in 4.2 innings.

That’s when Tadlock turned to righty Taylor Floyd who turned in the best outing of his career.  In his longest outing of the season, he struck out five hitters while not allowing a hit.

And Floyd had no room for error when he entered.  With two runners on, Floyd hit the first hitter he faced only to register a huge strikeout to leave the bases loaded. After that, he cruised allowing only two more baserunners, one via a walk and another reaching on a hit-by-pitch.

It was his second extended appearance in his last four outings.  On May 18th, he tossed three innings against TCU while striking out seven hitters, a career high.

In the postseason, teams need relievers capable of pitching multiple innings in the event that the starter is knocked out early or the game goes deep into extra innings.  It appears that Floyd, who threw 66 pitches against Dallas Baptist, is emerging as the top long relief option for Tadlock.

And every one of the pitches he threw against DBU came with the game in the balance as one swing could have tied the score or given the Patriots the lead.  Fortunately, Floyd was nails and he was able to pitch the Red Raiders into the championship bracket of the regional despite working with the slimmest of margins.

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