Texas Tech Prevents Sweep With 8-1 Victory Over K-State
Apr 20, 2003 | Baseball
April 20, 2003
Manhattan, Kan. - Senior right-handed pitcher Dusty Buck allowed just one run on eight hits in eight innings with a career-high eight strikeouts, as Texas Tech prevented the three-game sweep at the hands of Kansas State with an 8-1 victory in a Big 12 Conference game played on Sunday afternoon at Tointon Family Stadium.
With the win, Texas Tech improved to 24-18 on the season and 6-11 in Big 12 Conference action, while Kansas State dropped to 12-25 overall and 2-13 in league action. The Wildcats claimed the series on Saturday with a 5-1 victory to post not only their first Big 12 series win of the season, but also their first overall series win since sweeping a two-game set from Western Illinois to open the season.
After Sunday's league play, Kansas State remains tied for the ninth place with Oklahoma (14-22, 2-13 Big 12), who lost the series to Kansas earlier in the day. The Wildcats are three games behind eighth-place Texas Tech and four behind seventh-place Kansas (31-16, 6-9 Big 12) with four series left to play. K-State has to play three of the four remaining series on the road, including back-to-back road trips to Texas and Baylor.
Texas Tech threatened with eight baserunners in the first three innings, but didn't connect until the top of the fourth when the Red Raiders scored four runs on three hits and an error. Sophomore catcher Madison Edwards led off the inning with a walk then moved to third on a single through the right side by junior first baseman Doug Beck. With runs on the corners, junior shortstop T.J. Bruce scored the game's first run with another single through the right side.
After a pitching change that resulted in a pop-up and strikeout, junior outfielder Cody Fuller took advantage of a misplay by the second baseman to reach first and Beck from second. After a walk, designated hitter Evan Shahak singled up the middle to give the Red Raiders a 4-0 lead.
Texas Tech added single runs in the fifth and sixth. Edwards again led off the fifth inning with a walk then moved around on a balk and a single by Beck before scoring on a Bruce's sacrifice fly to deep right field. Senior outfielder Scooter Jordan started the scoring in the sixth, as he doubled to left-center field before moving to third on a sinlge by Fuller. Jordan scored on a balk on the next at-bat.
The score remained the same until the eighth when the Red Raiders added two more runs to take a 8-0 lead. Pinch hitter Travis McElroy walked to lead off the inning then scored on a single by Fuller. Fuller stolen second base then moved to third on a single by junior third baseman Christian Colonel through the left side of the infield. Pinch hitter Sean Alexander followed with a ground out to score Fuller.
Kansas State finally broke the shutout in the bottom of the inning, as junior second baseman Marc Chabot connected on a one-out double to right-center field. After a strikeout, senior first baseman Tim Doty scored Chabot from second with single through the middle.
Beck paced four Texas Tech players with multiple-hit games, as he went 3-for-5 with a run scored. Bruce posted a 2-for-3 afternoon with a team-best two RBIs and a run scored, while Fuller added a 2-for-3 effort with two runs scored and two walks.
Doty and Chabot were the lone Wildcats with more than one hit, as each went 2-for-4 on the afternoon. Doty had the team's only RBI.
Buck, who did not walk a single batter, improved to 3-1 on the season in picking up the win for Texas Tech. Junior right-handed pitcher Jeff Karstens did not allow a baserunner in the ninth with a strikeout.
Junior left-handed pitcher Sean Clancy fell to 1-4 on the season in collecting the loss for Kansas State, as he allowed one earned run (three total) on four hits in three innings of work with two strikeouts and six walks.
Kansas State return to action on Tuesday, as the Wildcats begin a two-game series with Southeast Missouri State beginning at 7 p.m. at Tointon Stadium. The two teams then square off on Wednesday with first pitch slated for 3 p.m.
