Texas Tech Athletics
Nevada
No. 5 Texas Tech Suffers First Loss to Nevada
February 17, 2015 | Baseball
Feb. 17, 2015
LUBBOCK, Texas - No. 5 Texas Tech suffered its first loss of the season to Nevada, 8-4, on Tuesday afternoon with a crowd of 2,796 fans at Dan Law Field at Rip Griffin Park.
Nevada (4-0) scored a run in the fifth to break a 3-3 tie and followed with a grand slam in the sixth by center fielder Trenton Brooks to remain undefeated on the season.
The Red Raiders (4-1) used 22 players in the contest - including five pitchers - while senior right-handed pitcher Dominic Moreno (0-1) took the loss allowing five runs (4 ER) on five hits in 3.1 innings with four strikeouts and a walk.
Nevada reliever Sam Held (1-0) picked up the win allowing just one hit in 2.1 innings with two strikeouts and three walks.
Tech scored first on sophomore outfielder Stephen Smith's second home run of the season to leadoff the Red Raider first inning. Nevada answered in the second inning with a run, but Tech immediately jumped back on top following junior designated hitter Quinn Carpenter's first career homer - a two-run towering shot - over the left-center field fence to give Tech a 3-1 lead.
The Wolf Pack took advantage of a solo home run by first baseman Austin Byler and four straight Nevada hitters reaching via base-on-balls, to tie the game, 3-3.
Nevada then broke the tie in the fifth inning on an RBI single by Jordan Devencenzi, and took an 8-3 lead on Brooks' grand slam which landed in the Tech bullpen over the right-field fence.
Tech junior left fielder Tyler Neslony went 2-for-5 and was the only Red Raider with a multi-hit game.
Tech starting left-handed pitcher Jacob Patterson took a no decision in his first career start going 2.1 innings allowing a pair of runs - both earned - on two hits with a strikeout and two walks allowed.
The Red Raiders will conclude their season-opening nine-game homestand this weekend hosting Northern Illinois (3-0) for the sixth-annual Brooks Wallace Memorial Series, Feb. 20-22, at Dan Law Field at Rip Griffin Park. The series opener between the Red Raiders and Huskies is set for Friday at 2 p.m. while playing a noon doubleheader on Saturday and playing the series finale on Sunday at 1 p.m.
NOTES:
- Texas Tech and Nevada are now tied, 1-1, in the all-time series that dates back to 1998.
- Texas Tech had its 20-game home win streak snapped (dating back to 2014)... 20-game streak ranks third in school history.
- The Red Raiders hit two home runs in the game and now have six home runs in five games ... to compare, Tech didn't hit its sixth home run last season until the 16th game of the season.
- The Red Raiders have six players that hit a home run last season (66 games) ... In five games this season the Red Raiders have five players that have hit a home run.
- A total of 22 Red Raiders saw action in the game while three (Anthony Lyons, Landon Darwin, Matt Custred) made their season debuts.
- S. Smith hit his second home run of the season (3rd career).
- S. Smith now has a seven-game hit streak (dating back to last season).
- Carpenter hit his first career home run ... five different Red Raiders have hit a home run.
- Earlier today Eric Gutierrez was named the NCBWA Hitter of the Week ... marked the first time a Red Raider has been named a national pitcher/hitter of the week since 2010 (RHP Bobby Doran).
- Gutierrez has started in 127 straight games - spanning his entire three-year Tech career.
- Gutierrez received his first hit-by-pitch of the season (37th career).
- Tanner Gardner posted his second pinch hit base hit ... is 2-for-4 (.500) as a pinch hitter this season.
- Anthony Lyons made his season debut with a pinch hit base hit up the middle in the ninth inning.
- Neslony notched his second multi-hit game this season (24th career).
- Parker Mushinski pitched two scoreless relief outings (1.80 ERA this season).
