Texas Tech Athletics
8-14, 0
Kansas State
17-8, 0
Bravo homers twice, as Tech falls at Kansas State
March 28, 2025 | Baseball
The Red Raiders could not overcome seven early runs by Kansas State
MANHATTAN, Kan. – Damian Bravo homered twice and drove in four, but Texas Tech Baseball could not overcome an early 7-1 run deficit in Friday's 10-5 loss at Tointon Family Ballpark.
Armed with a 1-0 lead after Logan Hughes tripled off the top of the wall in left, Texas Tech (8-14, 4-3) starter Jonny Lowe immediately found trouble in the bottom of the first as an RBI fielders choice by Kansas State's (17-8, 6-1 Big 12) Keegan O'Connor. Lowe started in place of usually Friday night starter Mac Heuer who was scratched due to injury.
Looking to limit the damage, Lowe's first offering to designated hitter Seth Dardar scraped over the wall for a wind aided three-run home run that gave the Wildcats a 4-1 lead.
After Kansas State hit another three run home run in the second to take a 7-1 lead, the Red Raiders got three shutout innings from lefty Zach Erdman and righty Connor Mohan to send the game to the fifth.
A lead-off walk from Kendyl Johnson and a two-base throwing error placed a pair in scoring position for Bravo, who took a 1-0 offering from Jacob Frost over the left field bullpen for a three-run shot that brought Tech to within 7-4.
Looking for a crucial shutdown inning, Mohan won a bases loaded battle with K-State's Dee Kennedy, using a lazy popup to Tracer Lopez at second to send the game to the sixth.
In what turned out to be the turning point of the game, the Red Raiders put two more runners on second and third on a pair of singles by Lopez and Kyeler Thompson in the sixth. Thompson advanced to second on his Big 12-leading 18th stolen base of the season.
Facing the heart of the Tech lineup, K-State's Adam Arther used a full-count strikeout of Bravo and a 1-2 strikeout of Villeneuve to escape the jam.
Armed with a little momentum, Kansas State used a pair of doubles and another two-run home run to take a 10-4 lead after six.
The Red Raiders pulled to within 10-5 when Bravo led-off the ninth with a 420-foot home run off KSU's Blake Dean, before the K-State reliever retired the next three batters in order.
UP NEXT:
The Red Raiders look to even the series on Saturday afternoon. First pitch from Manhattan is set for 4 p.m.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Arther, Adam (1-0)
L: Lowe, Jonny (0-2)
Batting:
3B: Hughes, Logan 1
HR: Bravo, Damian 2
RBI: Bravo, Damian 4 ; Hughes, Logan 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Thompson, Kyeler 1 ; Bravo, Damian 3 ; Johnson, Kendyl 1
SB: Thompson, Kyeler 1
HBP: Pompey, TJ 1 ; Johnson, Kendyl 1
Batting:
2B: Kennedy, Dee 1 ; Martin, Maximus 1 ; Evasco, AJ 1
HR: Martin, Maximus 1 ; O'Connor, Keegan 1 ; Dardar, Seth 1
RBI: Martin, Maximus 3 ; Evasco, AJ 1 ; O'Connor, Keegan 3 ; Dardar, Seth 3
Base Running:
RUNS: Kennedy, Dee 2 ; Inoue, Shintaro 1 ; Martin, Maximus 3 ; Evasco, AJ 2 ; O'Connor, Keegan 1 ; Dardar, Seth 1
SB: Kennedy, Dee 2 ; Martin, Maximus 1 ; Dardar, Seth 1 ; Bishop, David 1
CS: O'Connor, Keegan 1
