Texas Tech Athletics
Oral Roberts
No. 23 Texas Tech Falls at Oral Roberts, 5-4
April 07, 2015 | Baseball
Texas Tech junior outfielder Tyler Neslony went 3-for-5 with an RBI in Tech's 5-4 loss at Oral Roberts.
April 7, 2015
TULSA, Okla. - Oral Roberts erased a one-run deficit scoring two runs in the eighth inning with a pair of doubles to knock off No. 23 Texas Tech, 5-4, on Tuesday afternoon at J.L. Johnson Stadium.
Texas Tech (19-14) dropped its third straight midweek game while the Golden Eagles (21-10) have won 11 of its last 12 games overall.
Junior reliever Matt Custred allowed a one-out double to shortstop Dean Wilson in the eighth inning, and a second base runner reached as catcher Matt Whatley drew a two-out walk. Outfielder Derrian James scored both runners with a two-out double to left-center field to tie the game and plate the game-winning run.
Custred (0-1) took his first loss of the season while ORU reliever Colin Hightower (1-0) earned the win pitching a scoreless inning. Golden Eagles reliever Anthony Sequeira notched his fourth save of the season pitching a scoreless ninth inning with a strikeout while retiring the Red Raiders in order.
Tech starting pitcher Quinn Carpenter pitched a season-high 4.1 innings in the no decision allowing two runs on four hits with three strikeouts and four walks.
The Red Raiders scored three runs in the first inning on junior Tyler Neslony's RBI single, a passed ball that scored a run and junior Eric Gutierrez' RBI single to right field to take a 3-0 lead.
Neslony went 3-for-5 with a run scored and RBI and Gutierrez went 2-for-4 with an RBI. Eight Red Raiders posted base hits while out-hitting the Golden Eagles, 11-10.
ORU scored a run in the third and a run in the fourth before Tech took a 4-2 lead on Carpenter's solo home run with one out in the sixth inning. He became the first Red Raider pitcher to homer in a game since 2011 (David Paiz - at Missouri).
Tech and ORU combined left 19 runners on base while the Red Raiders left runners in scoring position in the third, fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh innings.
Texas Tech returns home for Big 12 play this weekend hosting Baylor (12-19) with the three-game series opener set for Friday, April 10 at 6:30 p.m. at Dan Law Field at Rip Griffin Park with the game televised on FOX Sports Southwest Plus.
NOTES:
- Texas Tech dropped the season series with Oral Roberts after splitting a midweek series in Lubbock earlier this season ... Tech leads the all-time series with ORU, 12-10, while ORU leads Tech 7-4 in games played in Tulsa.
- Texas Tech scored in the first inning for the 11th time this season ... Red Raiders are now outscoring their opponents 26-4 in the first inning this season.
- Tyler Neslony has reached base safely in 14 consecutive games.
- Tyler Neslony posted his 10th multi-hit game of the season (32nd career).
- Stephen Smith recorded his Big 12-leading 30th walk of the season ... has at least one walk in 21-of-29 games played this season.
- Eric Gutierrez has started in 155 straight games - spanning his entire three-year Tech career.
- Eric Gutierrez has a seven-game hit streak ... has reached base safely in 10 consecutive games.
