Hughes powers Texas Tech Baseball to Sunday split against Cincinnati

LUBBOCK, Texas (TTU) - Logan Hughes homered, doubled home the go-ahead runs and made a diving catch in the outfield for the final out to power Texas Tech Baseball to a Sunday doubleheader split at Dan Law Field at Rip Griffin Park.

After falling in the series opener in heartbreaking fashion, 8-7 in 12 innings, Texas Tech (9-19, 5-7 Big 12) rebounded from a 7-1 loss on Sunday morning into afternoon to earn a come-from-behind 12-8 victory in the nightcap.

In the Sunday victory, the Red Raiders raced out to an early lead, using a first inning solo home run from outfielder Damian Bravo and a first inning three-run shot from designated hitter Davis Rivers to take a 4-0 lead. Following a 1-for-3 day in the first game, Bravo followed with a 2-for-5 performance. He scored twice and drove in a pair.

After Cincinnati (19-12, 6-6 Big 12) scored its first run in the third off Tech starter Zane Petty, Hughes answered with a 409-foot line drive home run off the batters eye in left-center. The blast gave Tech a 5-1 lead.

The Bearcats used a Christian Mitchelle lead-off home run to pull to within 5-2, before Petty rebounded to strike out the side in the fourth.

Petty ended up going six strong innings on Sunday afternoon, as the righty allowed just three runs on the day. He whiffed six batters and departed the game with a 7-3 lead after fourth inning RBI hits from Tracer Lopez (double) and an RBI knock from Bravo.

The game remained 7-3 Tech until the seventh, when UC used a five-run seventh inning to take an 8-7 lead. UC used a pair of solo home runs, a two-RBI single from designated hitter Cal Sefick that tied the game at seven and a safety squeeze by Mitchelle to take the 8-7 lead.

Looking to end the frame, Tech turned to lefty Zach Crotchfelt who used a strikeout and a grounder to strand runners on the corners. Crotchfelt recorded the final eight outs on Sunday to earn his second victory as a Red Raider. The lefty allowed just one over the minimum (a ninth inning walk) and struck out four.

Looking to keep the Red Raiders down by just a run, Crotchfelt returned for the eighth inning and sandwiched a pair of strikeouts between a ground in a 1-2-3 eighth.

In the decisive eighth inning, third baseman Garet Boehm started the frame with a single through the right side before departing for pinch runner Coleman Ryan.

After a 3-2 single by outfielder Kendyl Johnson placed the tying run in scoring position at second, the Red Raiders used a sac-bunt to advance both Ryan and Johnson 90 feet.

With Damian Bravo at the plate and one out on the board, Cincinnati’s Carson Marsh got Bravo to swing at a 1-2 pitch that was wild and went to the backstop. Sprinting hard out of the box, Bravo reached first safely, as Ryan scored and Johnson advanced to second.

Already with a home run to his ledger, Hughes strolled to the plate and ripped a 1-1 offering from Marsh deep into the right field corner. The 103 MPH line drive plated Johnson from third and Bravo from first, giving the Red Raiders a 10-8 lead.

The Red Raiders ultimately used an RBI single from second baseman Antonelli Savattere and a single from Dylan Maxcey to take a 12-8 lead into the ninth.

With two outs and a runner on first base against Crotchfelt, Mitchelle ripped a low-sinking line drive deep into the left-center field gap that Hughes was able to snag in dramatic diving fashion for the 27th and final out of the contest.

The win for the Red Raiders salvaged the series finale after the Red Raiders saw Cincinnati’s Kellen O’Connor toss a 115-pitch complete game, one run gem. The lefty allowed just six hits and did not walk a batter.

In the first game, Cincinnati broke open a 2-0 game into a 7-0 game with a run in the fourth and four runs in the fifth.

UP NEXT:

The Red Raiders hit the road for a brief trip to Albuquerque to face the University of New Mexico Tuesday. First pitch from Santa Anna Star Field is set for 3 p.m. (CT)/2 p.m. (MT).