Texas Tech Baseball drops 5-4, ninth inning heartbreaker to K-State

MANHATTAN, Kan. (TTU) – Despite an early two-run home run from first baseman Robin Villeneuve and five one-run innings from starter Zane Petty, Texas Tech Baseball was walked-off 5-4 Sunday afternoon by Kansas State at Tointon Family Stadium.

Leading 4-2 heading to the bottom of the ninth, Texas Tech (8-16, 4-5 Big 12) saw the Wildcats strike for three runs to secure the series sweep.

In the setback, the Red Raiders enjoyed leads of 2-0, 3-0 and 4-2 before the Wildcats were able to find the winning combination in the bottom of the ninth.

With Damian Bravo on second after a double, the Red Raider struck first on the aforementioned home run by Villeneuve, his fifth of the season. The ball was struck at 100 MPH and traveled 398-feet.

Armed with a 2-0 lead, Petty went to work, as the righty did not allow a hit until the fourth inning.

Up 2-0, the Red Raiders ultimately made it 3-0 in the third inning when Logan Hughes plated catcher Dylan Maxcey for his team-leading 29th RBI of the season.

Seeking to make the lead stand up, Petty retired the side in order in the third before working around the first two K-State hits of the afternoon in the fourth and fifth respectfully.

The zeros in both the fourth and fifth innings were crucial as Tech stranded the bases loaded with nobody out in the fourth and runners on the corners in the fifth. In the setback the Red Raiders ultimately went just 4-for-17 (.235) with runners in scoring position as Tech stranded 13 runners on base.

With one out and nobody on in the sixth, Petty reached the end of the road, when he issued his fourth free pass of the afternoon on four pitches. The righty went five innings and allowed just one run and two hits. He struck out two.

Looking to protect the three-run lead, Tech turned to reliever Trendan Parish who after allowing a two-run home run to Keegan O’Connor retired the next two batters to send the game to the seventh.

Needing to respond, the Red Raiders ultimately did in the seventh, when pinch-hitter Antonelli Savaterre singled home Hughes for a two-out RBI that gave the Red Raiders a 4-2 lead.

After another scoreless frame from Parish in the seventh, Tech used a hit-by-pitch and a walk to place the first two runners on in the eighth, before K-State turned to reliever JJ Slack. Slack ultimately struck out the first two batters he faced before ending the threat with a shift-enabled groundout.

In the bottom of the eighth, Parish retired the side in order sending the game to the ninth.

Returning for his second inning of work, Slack stranded Tracer Lopez at second with one out to send the game to the decisive ninth.

In said ninth inning, the Wildcats used a double from catcher Bear Madliak and a hit bater to place the tying runs on base for pinch-hitter Sam Flores.

Down in the count 1-2, Flores roped a ball into the corner that brought K-State to within 4-3. With the tying run on third and the winning run on first, Parish hit a batter load the bases with nobody out on his 55th and final pitch of the afternoon.

Looking for a strike out or a two-ball, Tech turned to lefty Zach Crotchfelt, who after getting ahead 0-2 ran the count even at two-and-two. On the fifth pitch he saw from the lefty, Kansas State’s Shintaro Inoue ripped a single through the right side that scored both the tying and winning run.

UP NEXT:

The Red Raiders will next head to Frisco where a midweek contest against Oklahoma awaits. First pitch from Riders Field on Tuesday is set for 6:30 p.m.