Lubbock, Texas – In their first game of 2023, the 24th Texas Tech defeated the Air Force 9-4 at Rip Griffin Park on Tuesday. After starter Beau Blessey’s day came to an abrupt end, a battery of five bullpen arms carried the Red Raiders to victory.
It started in the first inning against Josh Saunders, inheriting the loaded bases, with one out and a 2-1 count when Blessey was sent off. Jr. changed the trajectory of the game as he needed three pitches to induce a 6-4-3 double play to end the inning intact.
Head coach Tim Tadlock said, “I thought Josh Sanders helped us a lot and threw the ball well. It’s really hard to do what he did.” Ethan Coombs had a good inning but it was big at the time.Then Brandon Becker picked him up and Damien Bravo threw the final inning.Baseball is all about picking each other up. Yes, the whole group picked up Bo Blessey, everyone cared about him, everyone was friends, and they hated him.
The longball scored all four runs for the Air Force on Tuesday. A two-run shot and two solo home runs were hit by Sanders in the second inning, and another one in the sixth.
In his second career appearance of his freshman season, Zach Erdman pitched three scoreless innings of middle relief over the third, fourth, and fifth innings. Ethan Coombs pitched the sixth, allowed a solo home run, and started the seventh, but handed the ball over to Brandon Becker after allowing back-to-back singles to start the inning.
Becker picked up Coombs and made a quick job, retiring the Falcons’ 2-3-4 hitters to maintain a 6-4 lead, and grounding the two runners he inherited with zero outs to make it the first of any rally. I slammed the door shut. He faced his smallest six and took four – tying his career high.Damien Bravo finished the game in his ninth place and the Reds won his 9-4 victory. bottom. It was his third career appearance, each in ninth innings, and although he still had no saved situations, he still allowed a hit when given the ball in the final frame. not.
Texas Tech’s offense continues to score high clips as they pushed 9-plus runs 6-plus in their first 9 games. Tech scored in the first innings for the fifth time this season, as Austin Green scored his sixth sacrifice fly of the season. The Red Raiders tied the game 3–3 with two home halves behind Hudson White’s second home run of the season. A leadoff walk to Gavin Kash helped tie the game when White drove him home in his next at-bat.
A 3-3 contest going into the bottom of the fifth turned into a 6-3 lead for the Red Raiders as the home team broke through against Air Force relief pitcher Jake Sansing. The string of the retiring 10-hit was snapped by a one-out Wil Burns single. It was the first of four straight Red Raiders to reach base. Kevin Bazelle started the game with a 2-RBI double to put Tech ahead 6–3.
Gage Harrelson gave Texas Tech’s game an exclamation point. In the seventh, Harrelson provided speed to insure Tech with a wild pitch and scored from third base. In the eighth, the true freshman connected for his first career triple and scored two more runs.
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Texas Tech will conclude its midweek series against the Air Force at 2:00 p.m., marking the conclusion of the Red Raiders’ 10-game homestand to start the 2023 season.
