Lubbock, Texas – The No. 24 Texas Tech baseball team defeated Gonzaga 10-3 on Saturday afternoon at Rip Griffin Park. The Red Raiders improved to 2-0 in their opening weekend series.
Sophomore Mason Molina led the effort, throwing a one-hitter over five innings of work. Southpaw has seven hits in the tournament. Two of the three free passes came in the fifth and final period of the game, an inning in which Gonzaga scored its first baserunner of the game.
While Molina kept the score sheet blank, Zags starter Nate DeShriver used seven walks in just three innings of work to give the Red Raiders a 4-0 lead.
“It feels good to have these guys come behind me and play good defense and score some runs,” Molina said. “Being outside made me more comfortable.”
It was a chilly start to the day as temperatures hovered in the mid-30s in the morning and a mix of rain and drizzle delayed the first pitch by an hour, but clear skies helped warm up Rip Griffin Park. Sixth inning. The first six batters reached base safely with five outs as the Red Raiders extended their lead to 9-0 in the frame.
“The guys did a good job of trying to find their pitches and staying in the strike zone,” head coach Tim Tadlock said. “I had some big hits.”
The Red Raiders’ offense held Gonzaga to 10 hits and 11 walks on the afternoon. Gage Harrelson and Austin Green each led Tech with two hits, while six others collected a piece for a complete team effort. In particular, leadoff hitter Nolen Hester came through safely with a single and three walks in his first four at-bats. He walked and scored three times.
“When I go out there, I have an approach that I’ve had for a long time and I’ve worked really hard to refine it,” Hester said. “My goal when I step into the box is to get to first base. It doesn’t matter whether it’s hitting the ball hard or taking a walk.”
The Chelasis, Wash., native, Taber Fast, of Spokane, Wash., took control of the mound in the sixth inning with his first collegiate effort against the team. He worked the sixth and seventh innings in relief of Molina and struck out at least six. Bats for six outs. The speedster scored two runs and drew one walk, but the defense quickly turned the runner around in a 6-4-3 game.
The Bulldogs scratched out three in the top of the eighth off Jesse Lopez to close the gap to 9-3. The Red Raiders scored one more in the next half-inning to post a 10-3 victory.
Next
The third game of the four-game series will begin at 1 p.m. Sunday. RHP Bo Blessie is the slated starter for Texas Tech and LHP Bradley Mullen is slated for Gonzaga.