Ryan Free, Austin Green help snap WVU streak | Texas Tech baseball takeaways

The West Virginia Mountaineers have been one of the Big 12's hottest baseball teams. For one night, at least, Texas Tech tamed the Mountaineers.

Ryan Free took a shutout into the sixth inning and Austin Green drove in five runs with a pair of doubles and a grand slam as Texas Tech won 15-2 Friday night in a Big 12 home series opener.

No. 24 West Virginia (23-14, 11-5) lost for the first time in eight Big 12 games.

"We didn't hit it too well. That's an understatement," WVU coach Randy Mazey said. "Which is pretty uncharacteristic of us to play that way. We haven't played that way all season, so a little disappointing, but tomorrow's another day."

Free (5-0) went six innings, yielding a two-run homer in the sixth to Kyle West.

"We were taking the strikes and swinging at the balls," Mazey said, "and when you're doing that, that means his stuff was pretty good tonight."

West Virginia starter Aidan Major (3-3) allowed a career-high six runs. The Red Raiders (27-13, 10-9) chased the hard-throwing sophomore righthander after three innings, his second shortest outing this season.

Cade McGee drove in three runs, Drew Woodcox and Davis Rivers two apiece.

In the first, Gavin Kash and Kevin Bazzell executed a double steal, and both scored when catcher Logan Sauve's throw to third glanced into foul territory. The Red Raiders made it 6-0 in the third, one run apiece scoring on a Green double, a Woodcox single, a Rivers groundout and a McGee single.

Saturday's game time has been moved to 6 p.m., four hours later than originally scheduled, because of the weather forecast.

Series preview:Preview, how to watch Texas Tech baseball vs. West Virginia

Around the conference:Oklahoma State holds on to top spot | Big 12 baseball power rankings

New No. 1 starter Ryan Free pitches like an ace

The senior lefthander allowed four hits, three of those in the sixth inning. He threw 90 pitches and striking out six.

Free started game one of a Big 12 series for the fourth weekend in a row after being a high-leverage relief pitcher in his first 1 1/2 seasons for the Red Raiders.

"I like to think there's really no difference," Free said. "I just like to go out there, pump a lot of strikes and just do my thing."

Austin Green on a tear

The Red Raiders' right fielder doubled in the first and third innings, and his grand slam off Chase Meyer in the sixth made the score 11-2. Green pulled all three shots down the line in right field.

"First double was a changeup. I was out in front," Green said. "Second at-bat, I was sitting on a fastball, and the grand slam was a changeup as well. Those pitches, I was out in on front on."

In 12 games in April, Green is 21 of 40 with three homers and 17 RBI. He has two or more hits in seven of his past 10 games.

"Baseball's a grind," Green said. "I'm just going into every day staying true to what I do, and it's finally clicking."

Owen Washburn leaves game

The Red Raiders' designated hitter left the game after Will Burns fouled a ball into the home dugout in the second inning. Washburn received attention for a few minutes and then walked into the clubhouse.

The ball hit Washburn in the face, Tech coach Tim Tadlock said. Team physician Dr. Michael Phy and medical staff were "running some tests on him," Tadlock said, "so we'll see" about Washburn's condition.

The ball went right past where Tadlock was standing.

"It was hit hard enough that I don't know how close it was to me," he said. "You just get down and duck."