Red Raiders Take Game Two in Extras, 3-2Red Raiders Take Game Two in Extras, 3-2

Red Raiders Take Game Two in Extras, 3-2

by James Warnick
Box Score

LUBBOCK, Texas – Texas Tech evened the series by defeating UCF 3-2 in extra innings on Saturday afternoon at Rip Griffin Park.

The Knights tied things up at 2-2 with a run in the eighth but TTU won it in the 11th via a walk-off home run from Damian Bravo. The Red Raiders move to 18-29 overall and 12-14 in Big 12 play with the victory, while UCF drops to 26-24 and 7-19 in league play with the setback.

The Knights got off to another quick start thanks to a first-inning home run from Andrew Williamson for the second consecutive game. With two outs and nobody on, Williamson belted out a 3-2 pitch to center field to give the Black and Gold an early 1-0 lead. Williamson’s big fly traveled 417 feet and marked his team-leading 11th of the season.

The Red Raiders countered back with a run in the bottom of the second to tie things up at 1-all. Following a Bravo double and a sacrifice bunt, Robin Villeneuve drove him home with an RBI single. The Knights defense responded by turning their second 6-4-3 double play of the game moments later to send it to the third inning.

TTU then took a 2-1 lead in the third by manufacturing run on a sac fly from Kyeler Thompson.

With both starting pitchers putting up zeros over the next inning or two, Texas Tech looked to rally by loading the bases with two away in the fifth. The Knights then went to the bullpen and Texas native Kevin Schoneboom entered and promptly struck out TTU’s Bravo on three pitches to escape the jam.

After Schoneboom retired the side in order in the sixth, the Knights looked to get something going offensively in the top of the seventh by getting two runners aboard with nobody out. Tech responded by getting the lead runner on a fielder’s choice and followed with an inning-ending double play to keep it a 2-1 Red Raider advantage.

Texas Tech then loaded the bases with nobody out in the bottom of the seventh, but Schoneboom managed to pitch out of it to keep it a one-run game. Following a lineout for the first out, Antonio Jimenez then started UCF’s season-high fourth double play of the game to escape the jam.

The Knights then quickly got two men on base in the top of the eighth with no outs, as Dylan King singled and Matt Prevesk worked a walk. Following a sac bunt from DeAmez Ross, Edian Espinal drove in King from third with an RBI groundout to shortstop to tie the ballgame.

Alex Galvan then entered on the mound and retired TTU in order in the last of the eighth to send it to the ninth.

Mateo Gray singled with one out in the top of the ninth for his first collegiate hit, but he was stranded on the base paths as the game headed to the last of the ninth knotted up at 2-2. Galvan then helped send the game to extra innings by sitting down the Red Raiders in order again in the bottom of the ninth.

The Black and Gold got two runners on base in the top of the 10th with two away thanks to a Ross single and a Williamson intentional walk, but TTU reliever Jack Cebert pitched out of it by drawing an inning-ending groundout.

Galvan continued to shine on the mound by retiring the Raiders in order in the 10th, as he had sat down all nine batters he faced to that point.

Jimenez then led off the 11th with a single. He moved to second base on a sacrifice bunt from from Gray and over to third on a groundout. He was stranded in scoring position, however, as Cebert drew an inning-ending groundout.

Bravo then won it for TTU in the last of the 11th by leading off the inning with a solo home run to left field.

Cebert earned the win in relief for Texas Tech after tossing 5.1 innings of strong relief to move to 7-2. Despite retiring the first nine batters he faced in the contest, Galvan was tagged with the loss to drop to 0-2. Schoneboom also had a nice relief outing for UCF on the afternoon by pitching 2.1 scoreless innings of relief.  

Williamson led the Black and Gold offensively by going 2-for-3 with a home run. Bravo paced TTU with a 2-for-5 outing with two runs scored and the walk-off home run.

The rubber match and series finale will come on Sunday at 2 p.m. ET/1 p.m. CT. The game will mark the final contest of a current seven-game road trip for the Knights. UCF will then return home for its final four games of the regular season next week. The Black and Gold will first host Presbyterian on Tuesday at 6 p.m. before welcoming Baylor for a key Big 12 series next Thursday to Saturday.