Senior Day at Dan Law Field mirrored the first two games of the Texas Tech baseball team’s final home series of the 2024 season, with Oklahoma coming away victorious.
On Sunday afternoon, the Sooners held off a late comeback from Texas Tech, which allowed a tying run with two outs and a man on third base in the bottom of the ninth inning, winning the series 8-7. Oklahoma won the first two games 8-0 and 7-5.
The Red Raiders (30-20) won three consecutive games at home for the first time since 2011. It was also the first time since 2007 that Texas Tech lost all three home series games in Big 12 play.
Texas Tech has now lost seven of its past eight games and has lost six straight Big 12 contests.
Texas Tech baseball has trouble early on.
With five batters in the game, the Red Raiders needed a pitching change.
Starting pitcher Mack Hoyer got off to a strong start, striking out leadoff batter Jon Spikerman and turning the game around from a 3-0 count. TJ Pompey made an error on the next batter, Hoyer grounded out to second base, and then Michael Snyder hit a two-run home run to put the Sooners ahead.
Hoyer only threw four more pitches before an injury forced him out of the game. After a 3-1 loss to Anthony McKenzie, trainers came out to check on the freshman. He appeared to grab his back, but was removed, giving way to Parker Hatila.
Sooners gain momentum with home run
Snyder’s home run was the first of three two-run shots for the Sooners to take the lead.
Spikerman added two runs of his own in the top of the third inning, his second home run of the season. After Texas Tech scored three runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to close in on the lead, Easton Carmichael got one run back in the top of the sixth inning with his own two-run homer into the left field seats.
A spark flew and then disappeared for the Red Raiders.
Texas Tech had a chance to get back in the game. In the bottom of the fifth inning, trailing 6-1, the Red Raiders scored three runs on a wild pitch and two errors, making it a two-run lead. That was before Carmichael’s back-breaking home run, and any momentum the Red Raiders had gained just a half-inning earlier was quickly lost.
Landon Stripling appeared on second and third base with one out and one out in the seventh inning. Tech only got out of the situation with one run, a sacrifice fly by Stripling.
Gavin Kash took the lead in the bottom of the 9th inning with a solo home run. Oklahoma pitcher Ryan Lambert avoided a walk to Kevin Buzzell. After Stripling grounded out to make it 8-7, Lambert hit a game-tying triple off Cade McGee into the right field seats.
What’s next?
The Red Raiders close out Big 12 play with a three-game series against Oklahoma State.His first two games of the series (Friday and Saturday) begin at 6 p.m., with Sunday’s final game scheduled for 2 p.m.
