St. John's University Athletics
Four-Run Eighth Inning Lifts Texas Tech To 10-6 Win Over St. John's
2/17/2007 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Texas Tech broke open a 6-6 tie with a four-run eighth inning, and the Red Raiders defeated the St. John's baseball team, 10-6, at The Midland College Classic on Saturday night. Anthony Smith again led the Red Storm offense, driving in his fifth and sixth runs of the day, and freshmen Brian Kemp and Daniel Rose combined for five hits and two runs.
The game was the second of a doubleheader at the College Classic, and the first went into 14 innings versus Dallas Baptist. Playing with new starters in two positions and limited bullpen help, the Red Storm put forth a game effort against a Texas Tech team that won its fifth straight game and stayed undefeated in eight all-time College Classic contests.
Rose and Jose Iglesias made their first career starts and recorded their first career hits. Rose started at shortstop and went 2-for-4 with a two-out game-tying single in the eighth inning, while Iglesias started behind the plate and singled in four at-bats. In all, rookies scored two runs and accounted for six of the Red Storm's 12 hits.
Sophomore Scott Barnes went five solid innings and got a no-decision after leaving with a 5-3 lead. Barnes struck out three and worked around 10 base runners to allow three earned runs in his first start of the season. Freshman Miguel Valcarcel was tagged with the loss in his first career appearance, allowing five hits and six runs in 2.2 innings.
Texas Tech struck first with two runs in the bottom of the second inning. Third baseman Doug Thennis led off the inning with a home run down the right field line, and Taylor Ashby followed with a triple to right. A groundout by James Leverton scored Ashby, and Barnes worked out of trouble with a strikeout and another groundout.
Both pitchers worked scoreless third and fourth innings before the Red Storm erupted for five runs on five hits in the top of the fifth inning. Three straight singles to lead off the inning by Rose, Kemp and Chris Joachim loaded the bases with no outs. A fielder's choice by Sam DeLuca plated two runs when Red Raider third baseman Ben Baker made an errant throw to home plate. The next batter, Smith, ripped a double over the left fielder Thennis to plate two more runs, and the senior came around to score on a wild pitch by Colt Hynes.
Texas Tech got one run back in the fifth and scored three in the sixth to take a 6-5 lead through six complete innings. Ashby hit an RBI groundout, Roger Kieschnick and Matt Smith each hit RBI singles, and Valcarcel threw a wild pitch to account for the Red Raider scoring.
The Red Storm came back to tie in the top of the eighth on an RBI single through the box by Rose. Ryan Mahoney reached on an opposite field double to lead off the inning and was plated on Rose's first career RBI, which came with two outs.
The Red Raiders plated four runs to break the 6-6 tie in a big way. Thennis delivered the big blow with a two-run double into the right field corner, while Geoff Byrns and Ashby delivered run-scoring singles.
Texas Tech closer Collin Auten, who recorded the last out of the eighth inning, pitched a scoreless ninth to pick up his first win of the season.
The two teams meet again on Sunday at 2 p.m. (3 p.m. EST), with sophomore RHP Jared Yecker (0-0, 0.00 ERA) scheduled to start for St. John's and senior LHP Aaron Odom (1-0, 1.29 ERA) for Tech.
