Tech holds off TCU 7-6 to even series

Saturday, March 22

Lubbock, Texas

2 p.m.

Texas Tech Athletics

7-12, 4-1

TCU

16-7, 2-3

TCU

Texas Tech

March 22, 2025 | Baseball

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The Red Raiders used an early three-run blast from Tracer Lopez and a go-ahead homer from Logan Hughes to down TCU

By: Andrew Stern

LUBBOCK, Texas – Jack Cebert tossed four strong innings and Tech got opposite field home runs from Tracer Lopez and Logan Hughes to down TCU 7-6 Saturday afternoon at Dan Law Field at Rip Griffin Park.

In the victory, Texas Tech (7-12, 4-1 Big 12) used the three-run home run from Lopez and a two-run 109 MPH double from first baseman Robin Villeneuve to race out to a 5-0 lead after two.

The home run and a walk by shortstop Coleman Ryan chased TCUs (16-7, 2-3 Big 12) starter/designated hitter Noah Franco from the game after just one-inning plus. Despite leaving the game as the starting pitcher, Franco remained in the game as the DH.

Armed with a 5-0 lead, Tech's starter Tyler Boudreau allowed a pair of one-out singles to put runners on first and second for Franco. With the count even at two, the pitcher turned DH lifted a three-run home run to cut the Tech lead to 5-3.

Tech remained in front 5-3 until the top of the fifth, when TCU used three infield hits to tie the game at five. The final of the infield hits came with two outs and clipped off the glove of Cebert.

Looking for an immediate response, Tech's lead-off hitter in the bottom of the frame, Hughes, got ahead in the count 3-0. After back-to-back called strikes from TCUs Nate Stern, Hughes turned on a 3-2 offering, ripping a 109 MPH, 19-degree line drive the opposite way for his team-leading seventh home run of the season. The ball traveled 393 feet and gave Tech a 6-5 lead.

Back in front, Cebert used a strike out and a pair of grounders to Lopez at second to send the game to the bottom of the sixth with the Red Raiders up by one.

With one out in the inning and facing the Big 12 ERA leader in Braeden Sloan, Ryan turned around the first pitch he saw for a one-out double.

After a strikeout put two outs on the board, right fielder Damian Bravo won his own 3-2 battle, dropping an RBI double into right-center that plated Ryan from second.

Returning for his fourth and final inning of work, Cebert used a pair of grounders to retire the first two batters of the frame before TCU used a pair of well-placed grounders through the right and left side to place the tying runners on for Jack Bell.

Behind in the count 1-0, Cebert sprung off the mound on another ground ball and covered first base for the third and final out of the inning. The offering closed another four strong innings for the USF transfer, as the righty has now allowed just three earned runs in his last 11.2 innings pitch.

Cebert, who earned the win for the second straight Saturday, has now allowed just two runs in 9.2 innings of work out of the bullpen the last two weeks.

Needing just six outs to even the series at one-game all, Tech turned to sophomore Parker Hutyra who used a lazy flyball and a strikeout to earn the first two outs of the inning. With nobody on and two outs, TCUs Sawyer Strosnider ripped a long flyball deep into the left-centerfield gap.

Racing back on the ball, both Hughes and centerfield Kyeler Thompson went on a full sprint trying to catch the ball. With the angle, Hughes was able to not only catch the ball, but withstand a collision with Thompson to record the third and final out of the inning.

Back out for the ninth, Hutyra quickly recorded the first two outs of the ninth, before a 1-2 home run from TCUs Chase Brunson brought the Horned Frogs to within 7-6.

With the tying run at the plate, Hutyra got catcher Nolan Traeger to roll over on a grounder that Lopez was able to field and fire to Villeneuve for the final out of the game and seal Tech's seventh win of the season. In the victory Hutyra earned his second save of the season.

UP NEXT:
Sitting at 4-1 in Big 12 play for the first time since 2022, the Red Raiders will look to win the series tomorrow afternoon when they and TCU meet for the series finale. First pitch from The Rip is set for 1 p.m.