Texas Tech University Athletics
Texas Tech Athletics
9-4
Penn State
4-8
Tech run-rules Penn State, 21-6
March 07, 2026 | Baseball
The Red Raiders scored in every frame of the contest including seven times in the first inning to earn their ninth win in the last 10 games
LUBBOCK, Texas – Less than 24 hours after scoring six first inning runs, Texas Tech Baseball struck for seven first inning runs enroute to a 21-6 run-rule win over Penn State Saturday afternoon at Dan Law Field at Rip Griffin Park.
Playing in front of another crowd of over 4000 and rocking the brand new Red Gladiator Mahomes uniforms, Texas Tech (9-4) scored at least one run in all six frames of the contest to record their ninth win in the last 10 games and their fifth run-rule win of the young season.
A year after going just 12-13 in 25 total home games, the Red Raiders are now off to an impressive 8-1 home start and have now outscored opponents 124-50 in those nine contests. The Red Raiders have walked 57 times, been hit by 15 pitches and struck out just 42 times at home this season, and are now hitting .428 as a team at Dan Law Field at Rip Griffin Park.
In the win first baseman Robin Villeneuve went 2-for-5 with four RBIs and his team-best fifth home run of the season, while freshman Jesse Rusinek went 3-for-4 with a pair of triples and five RBIs.
Rusinek's corner outfield mate, Logan Hughes, also had an impressive day, as the All-American went 2-for-2 with four runs scored, three walks drawn and four RBIs. Hughes also homered on Saturday, launching a majestic three-run bomb in the sixth.
Starting at DH today, Blinn College transfer Caden Ferraro also had a strong day as he reached base four times and scored four runs, while freshman SS Linkin Garcia added three hits in four at-bats and drove in two runs, his 24th and 25th RBIs of the season.
Garcia's 25 RBIs would have been good for third nationally, just one behind Oklahoma State's Collin Richie and Drew Barragan of UNLV.
After Penn State (4-8) struck first on a lead-off home run from centerfielder Cohl Mercado, Tech starter Connor Mohan retired the next three PSU batters in order, striking out Penn State's third and fourth place hitters, two of the six punchouts that the sophomore righty would record in his three innings of work.
Looking to strike for a crooked number for the second-straight game, the Red Raiders immediately tied the game when Kyeler Thompson scored from third base on an RBI single from Connor Shouse. Thompson reached on a five-pitch walk and stole second, his ninth stolen base on the young season. Thompson needs to steal just two more bases to reach 40 for his career.
After a walk to Hughes, the Red Raiders got another RBI single from Garcia to pull ahead 2-1.
With the bases loaded and two outs, Ruisnek delivered the Red Raiders third run-scoring hit in the frame when he plated three runs on his first career triple. The bases-clearing three-base hit was his first career triple.
Up 5-1 and with Rusinek at third, Villeneuve provided the final big blow in the inning, a 390-foot home run into the Red Raider bullpen in right. The blast traveled 390 feet and left the imposing first baseman's bat at 105 MPH.
Penn State answered the Red Raiders seven-spot with a singular run in the second on an RBI double from Jesse Jaconski, before Mohan used a grounder and a strikeout to strand the Penn State first baseman in scoring position.
Tech added four more runs in the second, plating the first run on an RBI single from Hughes, the second run on a sac-fly by Quintanar and the final two runs on another triple from Rusinek.
Penn State pulled to within 11-4 in the third on a two-run homer by Michael Anderson, but Tech used a bases loaded fielders choice from Garcia to pull ahead 12-4.
In the fourth, the Red Raiders turned to veteran southpaw Ryan Free who retired the PSU side in order in both the fourth and the fifth.
Free's two perfect innings combined with three Tech runs gave the Red Raiders a 17-4 advantage heading to the sixth.
With Free's pitch count over 40, Penn State used three-straight singles to open the frame to cut the Tech lead to 17-5.
Free tossed 2.1 innings on Saturday allowing just three hits and two runs. The lefty struck out two to earn his second win of the season, both out of the bullpen.
After a full-count free pass loaded the bases with nobody out, Free struck out Penn State's Justin Turcovski to put the first out of the inning on the board.
With the sack's full of Nittany Lions, Tech turned to junior Heeryun Han who nearly coaxed an inning-ending 5-3 double play on a grounder that Penn State's Preston Yaucher was able to beat out.
The RBI groundout cut the Tech advantage to 17-6.
With the bases once again loaded after a single from Mercado, Han struck out Anderson looking on three pitches to send the game to bottom of the sixth with Tech up by 11 (17-6).
In the sixth, the Red Raiders placed the first two runners on base on a single and a hit-by-pitch.
The next Red Raider batter, Hughes, turned on a 3-1 offering from PSUs Braden Leed launching a 440-foot three-run home run to left that gave the Red Raiders a 20-6 lead.
Tech ultimately added its 21st run of the afternoon on a 430-foot AJ Goytia double off the batters eye in center. The extra-base hit was Goytia's first hit and RBI as a Red Raider.
Sophomore Brady Trombello struck out the side in the seventh, to secure Texas Tech's third-straight series win and ninth win of the season.
On the afternoon the four Red Raider arms combined to walk just two PSU batters, striking out 12. All four Tech pitchers had at least one punchout led by Mohan, who struck out six.
UP NEXT:
The Red Raiders will turn to senior Jonny Lowe on Sunday afternoon for the series finale against Penn State. First pitch from Dan Law Field at Rip Griffin Park is set for 1 p.m.
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Free, Ryan (2-1)
L: Ben Hudson (1-3)
Batting:
2B: Jesse Jaconski 1
HR: Cohl Mercado 1 ; Michael Anderson 1
RBI: Cohl Mercado 1 ; Michael Anderson 2 ; Avery Smith 1 ; Jesse Jaconski 1 ; Preston Yaucher 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Cohl Mercado 2 ; Michael Anderson 1 ; Jayden Davis 1 ; Jack Porter 2
HBP: Maddox McDonald 1 ; Avery Smith 1
PO: Jack Porter 1
Batting:
2B: Garcia, Linkin 1 ; Ferraro, Caden 1 ; Goytia, A.J. 1
3B: Rusinek, Jesse 2
HR: Hughes, Logan 1 ; Villeneuve, Robin 1
RBI: Thompson, Kyeler 1 ; Lopez, Tracer 1 ; Shouse, Connor 1 ; Hughes, Logan 4 ; Garcia, Linkin 2 ; Ferraro, Caden 1 ; Quintanar, Matt 1 ; Goytia, A.J. 1 ; Rusinek, Jesse 5 ; Villeneuve, Robin 4
SF: Lopez, Tracer 1 ; Quintanar, Matt 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Thompson, Kyeler 1 ; Lopez, Tracer 2 ; Shouse, Connor 3 ; Hughes, Logan 4 ; Garcia, Linkin 3 ; Ryan, Coleman 1 ; Ferraro, Caden 4 ; Quintanar, Matt 1 ; Rusinek, Jesse 1 ; Villeneuve, Robin 1
SB: Thompson, Kyeler 1 ; Shouse, Connor 1
CS: Garcia, Linkin 1
HBP: Thompson, Kyeler 1 ; Shouse, Connor 2 ; Ferraro, Caden 1
