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Texas Tech baseball: Back-to-back-to-back homers lead to sweep of UCONN

By Matthew Conner

Jun 15, 2019; Omaha, NE, USA; Texas Tech Red Raiders head coach Tim Tadlock greets his players prior to the game against the Michigan Wolverines in the 2019 College World Series at TD Ameritrade Park . Mandatory Credit: Bruce Thorson-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 15, 2019; Omaha, NE, USA; Texas Tech Red Raiders head coach Tim Tadlock greets his players prior to the game against the Michigan Wolverines in the 2019 College World Series at TD Ameritrade Park . Mandatory Credit: Bruce Thorson-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Texas Tech baseball team completed a four-game sweep of UCONN on Monday thanks to back-to-back-to-back homers in the bottom of the 10th inning.

Never leave or turn off a game at Rip Griffin Park early.  Never.  That’s a lesson that Texas Tech fans learned once again on Monday as the Red Raiders hit three straight homes to lead off the bottom of the 10th inning to erase a two-run deficit and complete a four-game sweep of the UCONN Huskies.

Trailing 8-6 after the Huskies plated a pair of runs in the top of the extra frame, it appeared that the Red Raiders were headed for their first loss in 14 games.  But in classic Rip Griffin Park fashion, the bats had the final word on the day.

Leading off was Nate Rombach.  Previously 0-4 on the day and just 1-10 in the series, he belted a solo shot to left field to cut the UCONN lead in half.  It was his 5th homer and 18th RBI on the season.

Up next was shortstop Cal Conley.  Hitting righthanded, the switch-hitter was able to deposit a looping fly ball beyond the left-field wall to knot the game.  Hitting .394 on the year, he was 9-15 for the series as he continues to be one of the nation’s top hitters.

Finally, catcher Braxton Fulford completed the comeback with a solo shot of his own to left field.  You have to give him credit for his resilience being as he was previously 0-4 with four strikeouts prior to his walk-off heroics.

Unlike Sunday’s 15-13 Red Raider win that saw Tech lead for the entire game but have to hold off a late UCONN rally, Monday’s finale was a back-and-forth affair that saw the lead change hands three times.

In the second inning, UCONN scored first thanks to a bases-loaded walk and a sacrifice fly.  Tech would then answer in the bottom half of the inning with one run on a Cody Masters’ big fly, his third of the year.

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The score would remain the same until the top of the 6th when UCONN once again brought a run home on a sacrifice fly.  But again, Tech would answer with a single run in the bottom of the inning as Jace Jung would double home Dru Baker.

But in the 7th, UCONN would tack on a fourth run via a double to left field.  However, the long-ball would pull Tech ahead in the bottom of the frame as Dru Baker would hit a three-run homer to put his team ahead 5-4.   Tech would then add another run in that inning when Dylan Neuse stole home plate.

In the 9th however, Tech was unable to slam the door as the Huskies would tie the game with two runs.  And in the top of the 10th, the Huskies would plate two more to put Tech in a hole and force the bats to save the day.

It was certainly a huge series for the Red Raider offense which averaged 9.5 runs per game over the four-game set.  That included an average of 11.3 runs per game in the last three outings.

Tech now has the rest of the week off before facing the No. 14 Oklahoma State Cowboys in Lubbock this weekend to begin Big 12 play.  Hopefully, the bats stay hot and the dramatics continue to favor the Red Raiders.

But no matter what, being as these games are being played at the O.K. Corral of college baseball, Rip Griffin Park, don’t leave or turn off those games until the final out has been recorded because you never know what’s going to happen when the Red Raiders have the last at-bat.

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