LUBBOCK, Texas – No. 8 Texas Tech Red Raiders broke a 2-2 tie with a three-run fourth inning and never looked back in handing TCU an 8-4 loss on Saturday night at Rip Griffin Park. Josh Watson became TCU’s all-time leader in career walks, drawing his 159th walk.
Texas Tech opened the scoring in the second. The first two batters reached on an infield single and a walk. A couple of strikeouts followed, but a bloop single fell into right to give the Red Raiders a 2-0 lead.
TCU tied the game in the top of the third. Bobby Goodloe got the rally started with a one-out double. Back-to-back doubles from Zach Humphreys and Josh Watson knotted the game at two.
The Red Raiders broke the tie with a three-run in the fourth. With two on and one out, an error loaded the bases. A two-run single followed for a 4-2 lead. Dylan Neuse’s two-out single add another run.
A lead-off walk in the fifth turned into another Texas Tech run as he scored on an one-out double.
Conner Shepherd pulled the Frogs within three, 6-3, with a two out solo home run in the sixth, but the Red Raiders added solo runs in the seventh and eighth to push the game out of reach.
TCU tried to make some noise in the ninth inning. Adam Oviedo reached on a one out single. After a walk to Hunter Wolfe, Humphreys singled to drive in Oviedo to make it an 8-4 ballgame. The Red Raiders got out of the jam to end the game.
Brandon Williamson (3-5) took the loss for the Frogs allowing six runs (four earned) on nine hits in 4 1/3 innings. He walked three and struck out four. Jared Janczak tossed 1 2/3 scoreless innings for the Frogs, twice leaving the bases loaded.
With the loss, TCU finished the regular season with a 29-24 record and a 11-13 conference mark. The Horned Frogs will head to Oklahoma City for the Big 12 Tournament starting Wednesday. TCU’s seed, opponent and game time will be determined on Sunday at the conclusion of the Kansas-Kansas State series.