Texas Tech Athletics
Oklahoma
Tech Gets Series Sweep of Oklahoma With 10-5 Win
April 28, 2002 | Baseball
April 28, 2002
LUBBOCK, Texas - Senior third baseman Jake Brown went 2-for-3 with four RBI to lead the Texas Tech Red Raiders to a 10-5 win over Oklahoma on Sunday afternoon in front of 4,244 fans at Dan Law Field. The win gives Texas Tech a three-game sweep of the Sooners as Tech won both games of a split doubleheader on Saturday.
With the win, Texas Tech improves to 34-16 and 13-11 in the Big 12 and pushes the current win streak to nine games. Oklahoma falls to 24-20 on the season and 8-10 in the Big 12. The series sweep puts the Red Raiders in sole possession of fourth place in the league standings after starting out the series with Oklahoma in seventh.
Oklahoma shortstop Denver Kitch committed back-to-back errors in the bottom of the second inning to help give the Red Raiders a 1-0 lead. Willie Durazo led off the frame with a walk and then the two errors by Kitch allowed Durazo to score from third giving the Red Raiders an early 1-0 lead.
Texas Tech took a 4-0 lead in the bottom of the third on an RBI groundout by Gera Alvarez, an RBI double by Willie Durazo and an RBI single by designated hitter Travis McElroy. Tech got two other hits in the inning from second baseman Joel Buchenauer and Madison Edwards.
Oklahoma got back into the game in the top of the fourth as the Sooners plated three runs on three hits and two hit-by-pitches by Tech starter Dusty Buck to pull within one at 4-3.
Texas Tech scored two runs over the next two innings to take a 6-3 lead. An error by Oklahoma first baseman Chris Jakubauskas plated a single run in the fourth and an RBI single by Jake Brown plated a run for a Tech in the fifth.
With Texas Tech leading 6-4 in the bottom of the eighth, the Sooners put runners on second and third with just one out on a double to left field by Mark Fisher. Tech closer Steve Rowe got himself out of the jam by retiring the next two batters on a strikeout and a groundout.
Texas Tech pulled away in its half of the eighth inning as the Red Raiders plated four runs on four hits. Senior shortstop Gera Alvarez was unable to push his hitting streak to 31 games as Oklahoma center fielder Brandon Jones made a diving catch in the inning to break the streak. Alvarez set a Texas Tech school record on Saturday evening as he garnered a 30-game hitting streak.
Dusty Buck picked up the win for Texas Tech and is now 6-1 on the season after allowing three earned runs on five hits through 5 2/3 innings of work. Austin Mix suffered the loss for Oklahoma after giving up five earned runs on five hits in 3 1/3 innings. Senior reliever Steve Rowe earned the save for Texas Tech after tossing the final two inning allowing just one earned run and struckout three. The save is his seventh of the season.
Texas Tech will take the next 10 days off as the Red Raiders will begin final exams for the spring semester on Thursday. Texas Tech will return to action on Friday, May 10 at 7 p.m. against Texas Pan American. The three-game series will be played at Dan Law Field in Lubbock.
