Texas Tech University Athletics
Texas Tech Athletics
16-9
TCU
15-10
Tech drops series opener at TCU
March 27, 2026 | Baseball
The Red Raiders fell on Friday for the first time since opening weekend
FORT WORTH – Texas Tech Baseball fell 18-8 in run-rule (7 inn.) fashion Friday night to TCU at Lupton Stadium.
In the setback, Texas Tech (16-9, 4-3 Big 12) was undone by three errors in the field that led to seven unearned runs.
At the plate, the Red Raiders did score eight times, extending their program-record streak of scoring at least six times to 22-straight games.
Despite having traffic all the night, the Red Raiders went just 4-for-16 with runners in scoring position, falling for the first time on Friday since opening day. The Red Raiders were previously unbeaten in the last five Friday's.
After the Red Raiders placed back-to-back runners on with one out in the first, TCUs (15-10, 3-4 Big 12) Mason Brassfield struck out both Logan Hughes and Linkin Garica to fire a zero.
Brassfield went five innings and allowed six hits and three runs. He walked three and needed 92 pitches to get through five.
The chance to take an early lead proved costly for Tech, as TCU scored three times in the first before adding eight more runs in the third off starter Lukas Pirko.
Pirko who was tagged for 11 total runs, was charged with just four earned runs, as he was ultimately plagued by three Red Raider errors.
After the Red Raiders got to within 11-3 on a two-RBI double from Caden Ferraro and a solo home run from Connor Shouse, TCU stranded runners on the corners with two outs to take an eight-run lead into the home half of the fifth where they scored five more times.
Down 16-3, the Red Raiders used a lead-off home run from right fielder Jesse Ruisnek, an RBI double from Kyeler Thompson and a single from Logan Hughes to cut the TCU lead to 16-6.
TCU ultimately added two more runs in the sixth to take an 18-6 lead.
Just three outs from being run-ruled, the Red Raiders got an RBI double from Robin Villeneuve and a productive out from Tracer Lopez to put the game-extending run just 90 feet away before TCUs Ethan Thomas got a ground out to end the game.
In the win, TCU got four home runs from four different players including first baseman Cole Cramer, centerfielder Chase Brunson and right fielder Sawyer Strosnider.
Cramer who went 3-for-5 scored five times and drove in two, while Strosnider went 3-for-5 with three runs scored and five RBIs. Brunson reached base four times, scoring twice and driving in three.
In the setback the Red Raiders got two hits apiece from Ferraro, Rusinek, Shouse and Villeneuve.
UP NEXT:
Texas Tech will look to rebound and even the weekend series at one-all on Saturday afternoon. First pitch from Lupton Stadium is set for 2 p.m.
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Brassfield, Mason (3-2)
L: Pirko, Lukas (3-2)
Batting:
2B: Thompson, Kyeler 1 ; Ferraro, Caden 1 ; Villeneuve, Robin 1
HR: Shouse, Connor 1 ; Rusinek, Jesse 1
RBI: Thompson, Kyeler 1 ; Lopez, Tracer 1 ; Shouse, Connor 1 ; Hughes, Logan 1 ; Ferraro, Caden 2 ; Villeneuve, Robin 1 ; Rusinek, Jesse 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Thompson, Kyeler 1 ; Garcia, Linkin 1 ; Shouse, Connor 1 ; Hughes, Logan 1 ; Villeneuve, Robin 1 ; Rusinek, Jesse 2 ; Goytia, A.J. 1
HBP: Hughes, Logan 1
Batting:
2B: Griffin, Colton 1 ; Gamster, Preston 1
HR: Bell, Jack 1 ; Strosnider, Sawyer 1 ; Franco, Noah 1 ; Brunson, Chase 1 ; Cramer, Cole 1
RBI: Bell, Jack 3 ; Strosnider, Sawyer 5 ; Franco, Noah 2 ; Brunson, Chase 3 ; Gamster, Preston 1 ; Cramer, Cole 2 ; Dallimore, Brady 1 ; Franco, Lucas 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Bell, Jack 1 ; Strosnider, Sawyer 3 ; Griffin, Colton 3 ; Franco, Noah 1 ; Brunson, Chase 2 ; Cramer, Cole 5 ; Dallimore, Brady 1 ; Franco, Lucas 2
SB: Cramer, Cole 1
