Texas
Texas Tech sweeps at Shriners Classic
TX – Texas Tech is leaving Minute Maid Park unbeaten over three games in the Shriners Hospitals for Children College Classic. The Red Raiders were a dominant force in their first two wins, but they had to sweat out Sunday’s victory over the visitors, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.
Shortstop Cal Conley made a ninth-inning diving catch behind second base with the bases loaded for the final out to preserve a 4-3 win for Texas Tech. The Red Raiders had taken a 4-1 lead in the seventh on a bases-clearing double by Jace Jung.
The first of three scheduled games on the final day of the College Classic was the most competitive to date.
The Islanders, who had been run-ruled in each of their first two losses of the College Classic, scored two runs in the ninth to get within 4-3. The Islanders loaded the bases with two outs with Tech’s Ryan Sublette on the mound and Luke Marbach at the plate.
Marbach lined a ball left of second base that had a chance of going for a hit. But Conley, who hit a grand slam a day earlier in a win over Sam Houston, dove to his left, securing the ball and the win
Texas Tech (8-3) made the most of its six hits in winning for an eighth straight time after opening the season with three losses. Easton Murrell collected two of Tech’s hits. Murrell, Dru Baker, Cody Masters and Parker Kelly each scored a run.
Connor Queen (1-0) got the win in relief of lefty Mason Montgomery, who over six innings allowed only one run and three hits with one walk and nine strikeouts. Thomas Hayden (0-1) took the loss.
The Islanders (4-3) scored their run on a second-inning home run from Itchy Burts for a 1-0 lead. Burts, a Clear Springs product, collected three of his team’s seven hits.
On Friday Texas Tech defeated Texas State 8-4 followed by an 8-0 victory over Sam Houston.