May 15, 2009

Box Score in PDF Format

LUBBOCK, Texas -- Texas Tech scored an unearned run in the bottom of the eighth inning to lift the Red Raiders to a 9-8 win over Oklahoma State Friday night at Dan Law Field.

With the loss, the Cowboys were eliminated from contention for next week's Big 12 Conference Championship, marking the first time since 1977 OSU has failed to make the conference tournament. OSU is now 30-22 overall and 7-16 in league play.

The game was tied 8-8 with two outs in the bottom of the eighth when OSU shortstop Tom Belza dropped a pop up in shallow center field that allowed Willie Rueda to score from second base with what proved to be the game-winning run.

OSU put the tying run on first base in the top of the ninth after Doug Kroll led off the inning with a single, but Randy McCurry flied out and Micheal Dabbs grounded into a game-ending double play to seal the Cowboys' fate.

The loss soured a night that saw the Cowboys blast four home runs, including two from Dabbs, and get a strong relief outing on the mound from sophomore Brad Propst, who suffered the tough-luck loss despite a career effort.

OSU took the game's first lead with a pair of runs in its first at bat. Dabbs led off the game with a single, and Tyrone Hambly followed with a two-run home run over the wall in left-center field. The blast was Hambly's eighth homer of the season.

The Red Raiders (24-28, 12-13) erased their deficit and took the lead in the second inning, scoring five runs before OSU recorded an out as Cowboy starter Andrew Oliver's inability to find the strike zone proved costly. By the time the inning ended, TTU had scored seven runs on four hits and three walks.

After loading the bases on a single, walk and fielder's choice, an RBI walk by Michael Reed made the score 2-1. Garrett Totten then brought home the tying run with an infield single, and the Red Raiders' rally continued thanks to another RBI walk, this one giving TTU the lead.

Texas Tech was not done, adding two runs on a double by Rueda and two more on a single by Chris Richburg to take a 7-2 lead before the Cowboys finally got out of the inning with a double play.

The Red Raiders knocked Oliver from the game with another run in the third before OSU began its comeback in the fourth.

Once again, the big blow for the Cowboys would come via the long ball as Dabbs delivered an opposite-field, three-run home run to left field to trim TTU's lead to 8-5. OSU added another run later in the frame when Hambly, who had followed Dabbs with a single, scored from third on a wild pitch.

The score remained 8-6 until the seventh when Dabbs blasted his second homer of the game, a solo shot with two outs that cleared the bullpen in right field.

OSU's power surge continued in the eighth as the Cowboys tied the game at 8-8 on Neil Medchill's 13^th home run of the season, a solo blast to left-center field off TTU closer Chad Bettis that tied him with Dabbs for the team lead in homers.

The game did not remain tied for long, however, as the Red Raiders scored the decisive run in the bottom of the eighth. Rueda singled with one out, and after advancing to second on a wild pitch, he scored the tying run when Belza dropped the pop up off the bat of Richburg.

Propst fell to 1-1 on the season despite working a career-long 5.2 innings and racking up a career-best eight strikeouts. The right hander surrendered just three hits, and the unearned run in the eighth was the only run he allowed.

Dabbs led the offense with a 3-for-4, four-RBI night, while Hambly, Mark Ginther and Davis Duren each collected two hits.

Oliver lasted just 2.1 innings and allowed eight runs on seven hits. The junior left hander walked three and recorded just one strikeout.

Bettis picked up the win with two innings in relief to improve to 5-0.

The two teams return to action Saturday at 1 p.m.