Tech drops Sunday finale at Utah

Sunday, April 19

Salt Lake City, UT

2 p.m. (CT)/ 1 p.m. (MT)

Texas Tech Athletics

20-19, 6-12

Utah

20-15, 9-9

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Texas Tech	0	0	0	1	2	0	0	0	0	3	8	1
Utah	3	0	3	0	0	0	0	0	X	6	6	1

Texas Tech reliever Jonny Lowe throws a pitch during Sunday's game at Utah

April 19, 2026 | Baseball

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The Red Raiders cut a 6-0 deficit to 6-3 before falling by the same scoreline

By: Andrew Stern

SALT LAKE CITY – Once down 6-0, Texas Tech Baseball pulled to within 6-3 in the fifth before falling by the same scoreline to Utah Sunday afternoon at America First Ballpark.

In the setback, Texas Tech (20-19, 6-12 Big 12) got 3.2 perfect innings from reliever Jonny Lowe and 1.2 scoreless from freshman Logan Addison, as the duo combined to retire 16 of the final 18 batters of the game.

Addison has now allowed just one run in his last eight appearances and has now pitched 7.2 straight scoreless innings. Addison has issued just four hits, struck out eight and walked just one.

He and Lowe combined to toss 5.1 innings of one-hit relief and struck out seven without walking a batter.

Starting in the top of the first, Tech had its opportunities against Utah (20-15, 9-9 Big 12) starter Seth Graham-Pippin, as the Red Raiders used back-to-back singles from Tracer Lopez and Logan Hughes to put two on with one out, but Graham-Pippin struck out Caden Ferraro and Linkin Garcia to keep the game scoreless.

In the bottom of the first, Tech starter Adam Hayes rebounded from a lead-off walk to retire back-to-back batters and put the first two outs of the inning on the board.

With a runner on second and two out, Hayes allowed an RBI single from Utah's Cameron Gurney and a two-run home run to Cal Miller to give Utah a 3-0 lead.

In the top of the second, the Red Raiders again had a runner on second with two outs after a walk and an E1 from Graham-Pippin on an errant pick-off throw, but like the first, the Utes starter ended the Tech frame with a strike out.

Graham-Pippin tossed 4.1 innings of five hit ball and allowed just two runs. He struck out six and walked just one.

After a bounce-back 1-2-3 inning from Hayes in the second, the Red Raiders nearly had another runner-in-scoring-position in the third but a line drive that appeared to be dropped in right-center was ruled a catch for the inning's second out. The ball likely would have placed Lopez on third base with one out.

The inning, after a single from Hughes, ultimately ended on a 114 MPH liner from Ferraro that was caught in center by Jet Gilliam.

Armed with the momentum again after another scoreless frame, Utah used a bunt single, a ground-rule double and a walk to load the bases with nobody out.

The walk proved to be the end of the line for Hayes, as Tech turned to lefty Jesse Rusinek. Hayes pitched two innings and allowed four hits and six runs. He struck out one and walked two.

Even in the count 2-2 Rusinek snared a 102 MPH comebacker and threw out a runner at the plate to record the inning's first out, before losing a seven-pitch battle to Miller. The free pass gave Utah a 4-0 lead.

Utah used a sac-fly from Gilliam and a two-out RBI single from SS Matt Flaharty to take a 6-0 lead.

After another pitch change, this time for Addison, the Red ended the frame when the righty struck out Utah's Derek Smith on three pitches.

In the fourth, the Red Raiders broke through on a first-pitch, lead-off solo home run from SS Linkin Garcia, before Graham-Pippin retired the next three batters in order on a strike out, a 106 MPH line drive to left and a 3-2 grounder.

The blast for Garcia was his fourth of the season and his first since Feb. 20 against Albany.

Following a 1-2-3 fourth with two punchouts from Addison, the Red Raiders finally strung together a couple of hits in the fifth when a one-out double from Kyeler Thompson and an RBI triple from Lopez pulled the Red Raiders to within 6-2.

After an RBI single from Hughes and a walk to Ferraro brought the tying run to the plate, Utah turned to reliever Kaden Soder who used a flyout and a grounder to strand the tying runs on base.

In the bottom of the fifth, Utah loaded the bases with one out, but Lowe used a 5-3 double play to fire a scoreless fifth.

Starting with the flyout and grounder from Soder in the fifth, Utah combined to retire 12-straigth batters and 14 of the final 15 Tech hitters. That streak was ultimately snapped by a Chase Thomas one-out single in the ninth. The hit was Thomas' first career hit and a came in his first career start.

In the end, and despite the single from Thomas, Utah's Justin Abercrombie used back-to-back grounders to seal the win for the Utes.

In the loss, Lopez went 2-for-4 with the RBI triple, while Hughes went 3-for-4 with an RBI. On the weekend Lopez went 7-for-12 and now has a nine-game hitting streak.

With the two hits today Lopez moved into a tie with Joey Kenworthy for ninth all-time on the Tech hit list (218).

UP NEXT:
The Red Raiders kick-off a five-game week next week with a Tuesday night home contest against Tarleton State. First pitch from Rip Griffin Park is set for 6:30 p.m.