LUBBOCK – For the first four-and-a-half innings, it looked as
if the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Islanders would split with
Texas Tech in their two-game series at Dan Law Field as the team
lead 3-0 and freshman pitcher Cory Blair had a no-hitter going.
In the bottom
of the fifth, however, that all changed as the Red Raiders erupted
for eight runs on six hits to take an 8-3 lead. Texas Tech (16-12)
would go on to win 10-5 Wednesday afternoon as head coach Larry
Hays picked up win No. 1,500. The loss dropped A&M-Corpus
Christi to 8-20 on the season.
Blair, who was
making his first collegiate start, rolled through the first four
innings allowing just Joey Kenworthy to reach as he walked twice.
Meanwhile, the Islanders scored in two of the first four
innings.
"Cory Blair was
really good today," said Islander head coach Scott Malone. "To hold
a Big 12 team hitless for 4-1/3 innings gave us a chance to get
some runs and build a cushion. He kind of had us rolling
early."
With one out,
Trey Hernandez, who had his seven-game hitting streak snapped,
walked and advanced to third on singles by Stephen Flora and Chase
Wheaton. Hernandez would score on an error by Kenworthy on a
grounder by Jacob Perales. With one out and the bases still loaded,
A&M-Corpus Christi could not push another run across.
In the top of
the fourth, the Islanders tacked on a pair of runs. Perales led off
the inning with a single but was picked off first. Martin Parra
followed with a single to right and raced to third on a double by
Adrian Salinas.
After Parra was
thrown out at home on a fielder's choice, Marc Carrion drew a walk
to load the bases. Brycen Bell lined a single back up the middle to
drive in two runs and extend his hitting streak to six games. The
inning would end as Bell became the second batter picked off first
in the inning by Tech starter Cory Large.
"Bell's hit was
big," said Malone. "We just didn't run the bases smart today. Our
base running had nothing to do with talent. It had more to do with
us not paying attention. That is one of those areas you can control
and we didn't do that today."
After Tech's
Chris Hall flew out to center to begin the inning, Taylor Ashby
singled and stole second for the first hit off Blair. Tanner
Rindels put the Red Raiders on the board as he belted his third
home run of the season.
Brian Anderson
replaced Blair after the home run and allowed singled to the first
two batters he faced. Jeremy Mayo scored the third run of the
inning as all runners were safe on fielder's choice by Willie
Rueda. After Kenworthy scored on a balk by Anderson, Hall delivered
a three-run double down the line in left field. Hall scored the
final run of the inning on a single by Ashby as the Red Raiders
took a 5-run lead, 8-3.
In two-thirds
of an inning of work, Anderson allowed four runs on six hits and
two walks to fall to 1-4. Tech would manage just two more runs the
rest of the game – on a solo run in the sixth on a Mayo home
run off Mike Miller and a run in the seventh off Jacob Perez.
The Islanders
added single runs in the top of the seventh and ninth innings.
In the seventh,
Bryan Gerondale came off the bench to single off Lorenzo Douglas to
start the inning. With two outs, he moved to second on a balk by
Douglas and came around to score on single by Flora. Wheaton tried
to keep the inning going with a single to put runners on first and
second, but Perales flew out to right field to end the inning.
Douglas picked
up his first win of the season as he scattered three hits over
three innings of relief work. He allowed one
The Islanders,
who have shown the ability in previous games to score late, tried
to rally in the ninth. With one gone, Flora, who had a game-high
three hits, singled but was forced out at second on a fielder's
choice by Wheaton. After Perales singled to left, Martin Parra
drove in Wheaton with a single off Robert Kilcrease, but the game
ended with Salinas hitting into a fielder's choice.
A&M-Corpus
Christi finished the game with 13 hits to Tech's seven, but left 11
on base. Aside from Flora's three hits, four other Islanders –
Wheaton, Parra, Perales and Salinas – had two hits apiece.
Tech finished with seven hits by seven different players, but stole
eight bases.
"We made way to many mistakes today
to beat a Big 12 team," said Malone. "We didn't do a good job with
our pitchers of holding runners. It wasn't the talent of Tech. It
was the process. I am disappointed with the fundamental mistakes we
made for this late of the season. We need to continue to work on our
consistency."
