Texas Tech Athletics
#22 Rice
Texas Tech Falls 11-2 at No. 22 Rice
April 16, 2013 | Baseball
Conley broke up the no-hitter with a single in the seventh inning with one out
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| Box Score | Notes |
April 16, 2013
HOUSTON, Texas - Texas Tech lost its seventh straight game during an 11-2 loss at No. 22 Rice on Tuesday evening at Reckling Park.
The Red Raiders (17-20) dropped its 15th straight game to the Owls (dating back to 1996) while being out-hit 13-2 and using seven pitchers (six freshmen) in the midweek contest. Rice improves to 26-13 overall and to 15-6 at home this season.
Rice had four multiple run innings and scored at least one run in five of its eight times at the plate. Four Owls finished with multi-hit games while the Red Raiders were held to just two hits - its fewest base hits in a game since also having two hits against Rice in 2010.
Tech freshman Justin Bethard (0-1) took the loss in his first career start while going two innings with three runs allowed on four hits with three strikeouts.
Rice starting pitcher Austin Kubitza (5-2) won his fifth game in a predetermined start (pitch count) with four innings pitched, three strikeouts and one walk.
Three Owls pitchers had a combined no-hitter through 6.1 innings before Tech junior outfielder Devon Conley singled through the right side with one out in the top of the seventh inning.
Tech's only other base hit in the game came in the ninth inning by sophomore pinch hitter Blake Bass as he singled through the left side. Bass became the first Red Raider this season with two pinch-hit base hits.
The Owls grabbed a 3-0 lead with four hits - including three extra-base hits - in the second inning off Bethard.
Rice added two runs on a two-run homer by right fielder Michael Ratterree in the fourth inning and plated three runs on three hits, two walks and a hit-by-pitch in the fifth inning to grab an 8-0 lead.
Tech, meanwhile, scored both of its runs in the sixth inning due to a pair of Rice errors. Freshman Eric Gutierrez reached base with a walk to lead off the sixth and later scored on a fielding error by Rice first baseman Connor Teykl as a groundball hit by leadoff hitter Brett Bell went between his legs allowing Gutierrez to score.
Bell then stole third base - his Big 12-leading 23rd stolen base of the season - and scored on a throwing error by the catcher.
Besides the sixth inning, Tech had just one base runner reach scoring position (Barrios - 7th inning) in the game.
Texas Tech will play 13 of its final 17 regular season games at home, starting this weekend hosting Kansas for a three-game Big 12 series, April 19-21, at Dan Law Field at Rip Griffin Park. The series opener on Friday, April 19, will be televised nationally with a 6:37 p.m. first pitch on FOX College Sports as Robert Giovannetti (play-by-play) and Mike Gustafson (analyst) will call the action.
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