Wreck'Em Red
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Texas Tech baseball: Red Raiders take opener against Horns

By Matthew Conner

Jun 19, 2019; Omaha, NE, USA; Texas Tech Red Raiders head coach Tim Tadlock walks in the dugout prior to the game against the Florida State Seminoles in the 2019 College World Series at TD Ameritrade Park. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Thorson-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 19, 2019; Omaha, NE, USA; Texas Tech Red Raiders head coach Tim Tadlock walks in the dugout prior to the game against the Florida State Seminoles in the 2019 College World Series at TD Ameritrade Park. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Thorson-USA TODAY Sports /
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Facing the No. 4 Texas Longhorns in Austin for a critical Big 12 series, the Texas Tech baseball team did something on Friday night that no team has been able to do yet this year.  The Red Raiders were able to rock UT ace Ty Madden.

Scoring six runs off of the Longhorn sophomore, the Red Raiders doubled up Texas in a 6-3 win to take a 1-0 lead in the three-game series.  It was the most runs Madden has allowed this year as well as being the first time in 2021 that Texas has lost game one of a three-game series.

Catcher Braxton Fulford opened the game’s scoring with a solo blast in the second inning.  The Monterey High School product is swinging a hot bat as of late having homered in three of his last five games to bring his season total to ten.

Then, after Texas scored twice in the third inning to take the lead, Cody Masters tripled in the top of the fourth inning to bring home Fulford and knot the game.  A few pitches thereafter, Masters himself would cross home on a passed ball.

An inning later, a Drew Baker double would score Dillon Carter and Parker Kelly to push Tech’s lead to 5-2.  Then, Jace Jung would bring home Tech’s final run with a sacrifice fly to plate Baker.  Texas would answer with a solo shot in the bottom of the inning but that would be all the home team would muster off of a stingy Red Raider pitching staff.

Ace Patrick Monteverde rebounded from his worst outing of the year in his last start to toss 4.1 innings allowing three runs on four hits over the course of 92 pitches.  Then, Tech would turn things over to its bullpen star.

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Tossing 2.2 innings of scoreless ball, Ryan Sublett struck out three hitters and picked up the win to move to 6-1 on the season.  Following his work, Tech would clean things up with two innings of scoreless work from four pitchers including Connor Queen who earned the save by working a flawless 9th inning.

Coming off of a disappointing series loss at home to Baylor last weekend, Tech needs to rebound in Austin if Tim Tadlock’s team has any hopes of being a national seed in this year’s NCAA Tournament.  Though Friday’s win doesn’t accomplish that goal in and of itself, it was a huge step towards picking up a crucial series against the team that currently sits atop the conference standings.

And Tech picked up that win by taking down one of the best pitchers in the nation.  Entering the game with a 1.68 ERA, Madden looked to be nearly untouchable.  He had not given up more than three runs in a start this year since allowing four in his season debut.

But Tech was able to grind out five hits and five earned runs on Friday night to hand Madden just his second loss on the season.  And it puts the Red Raiders in a great position to pick up what would be the season’s best series win.

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