LUBBOCK, Texas – The No. 8 Texas Tech baseball team opened the 2019 NCAA Lubbock Regional with a decisive 11-2 victory on Friday afternoon at a sold out Dan Law Field at Rip Griffin Park.
The Red Raiders (40-17) jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first and added crooked numbers in the second, fifth and seventh to down the Black Knights (35-25) in just their second all-time meeting. It marks the fourth straight year Tech has won its regional opener.
Tech piled up 11 runs on 16 hits in the contest, chasing Army starter Daniel Burggraaf (5-3) after the second inning. All nine Red Raider starters recorded hits with six compiling multi-hit efforts.
Tech freshman right-hander Micah Dallas (6-0) retired the first 12 batters he faced in his NCAA postseason debut. He allowed his first base runner in the top of the fifth and first hit in the sixth on his way to the win. The Aubrey, Texas, native struck out seven in 7.0 innings of work.
Sophomore Gabe Holt set the tone offensively with a leadoff triple in the first, scoring on a sacrifice fly from freshman right fielder Tanner O’Tremba, who made his 10th start of the season and first in right field since March 23 against No. 22 Michigan. After back-to-back singles from junior Josh Jung and senior Cameron Warren, sophomore Cody Masters dropped a two-run single into center field to score both runners.
O’Tremba wrapped his postseason debut at 3-for-4 at the plate with three RBI after drilling a two-run double down the left field line in the fifth. Warren added a three-run blast two innings later, his team-leading 15th home run of the season and 70th RBI.
Holt added a double in the second to secure his team-leading 25th multi-hit game of the season. He and O’Tremba came around to score on a two-out double from junior Brian Klein that found the gap in left center.
Sophomore Easton Murrell made his fourth-straight start at third base and recorded his first-career multi-hit game, going 2-for-3 and reaching base in four of five plate appearances. He singled in the third, doubled in the sixth and reached on a hit-by-pitch and walk in two other trips.
Ryan Sublette tossed the eighth and Caleb Freeman threw the ninth to help Tech bring it home. Each recorded a strikeout to make it nine on the night for the Red Raider pitching staff to three walks.
No. 8 Texas Tech will take on the winner of Dallas Baptist and Florida on Saturday at 6 p.m. The second-seeded Patriots and third-seeded Gators are scheduled to play at 7 p.m. Friday night.
By Ty Parker
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