Texas Tech Secures Top 10 Win in 11-2 Decision at No. 8 Stanford
After dropping game one of a two-game series between ranked foes, No. 21 Texas Tech bounced back and hammered No. 8 Stanford 11-2 Tuesday evening in Palo Alto.
The Red Raiders pounded out 14 hits in an offensive explosion that left little doubt about who was coming out on top in this one. That included a base knock by eight different batters and multiple hits by five different players in the visitors’ lineup.
Leadoff hitter and left fielder Nolen Hester led all those with three base knocks in five plate appearances–while second baseman Hudson White left the yard.
By the time White rounded the bases in the top of the ninth, the Red Raiders had already plated double-digit runs. Center fielder Gage Harrelson’s ensuing RBI single completed the scoring.
But there was obviously plenty of it before that point. Texas Tech grabbed a 1-0 lead in the top of the first on third baseman Kevin Bazzell’s RBI single to center. The Red Raiders added three more in the third on a pair of run-scoring singles to right by designated hitter Ty Coleman and first baseman Gavin Kash, along with an error.
After Stanford cut the lead in half, Texas Tech got back to work in the fifth. That’s when Harrelson padded the advantage with an RBI single to right.
The Red Raiders started to pull away in the seventh. White recorded an RBI single up the middle, and Hester brought home two more on his double to right.
Meanwhile, Texas Tech’s pitching more than held up. It fanned 10 Cardinal hitters, and Brandon Beckel picked up the win out of the bullpen while tossing three innings of shutout ball with only three hits to four strikeouts.
The Red Raiders (23-11, 4-5 Big 12) return to action when they head to Oklahoma this weekend for a three-game set. First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m. CT Friday.
