Texas Tech baseball piled up 23 hits, but TCU answered with a 13-inning walk-off to hand the Red Raiders a tough 10-9 Big 12 loss in Fort Worth.
Texas Tech baseball did more than enough offensively to win Saturday’s Big 12 showdown, but TCU found the final answer in a wild 13-inning battle at Lupton Stadium.
The Red Raiders collected a season-high 23 hits, erased a late deficit and even carried a lead into the bottom of the 13th, only to watch the Horned Frogs escape with a 10-9 walk-off win.
For long stretches, Texas Tech looked poised to steal a gritty road victory.
The Red Raiders jumped out early, then refused to go away after TCU pushed ahead in the middle innings. Down two runs entering the ninth, Tech delivered under pressure.
Matt Quintanar lined a run-scoring double, and freshman Jesse Rusinek followed with a clutch RBI single to tie the game and force extra innings.
Rusinek turned into one of the day’s biggest stories. He starred at the plate, going 4-for-6 with three RBIs, and then gave Texas Tech valuable innings on the mound.
In a game that demanded creativity, the Red Raiders leaned on position players to keep things alive, and Rusinek answered with two scoreless frames and four strikeouts.
Connor Shouse also stepped up in relief and helped extend the game during a chaotic finish.
The offense kept coming all afternoon. Logan Hughes finished 4-for-6 with a home run, two RBIs and two runs scored, while Tech repeatedly put pressure on TCU’s pitching staff.
Five Red Raiders finished with at least three hits, a sign of just how well the lineup was tracking the ball. Still, despite outhitting TCU 23-15, Texas Tech couldn’t land the final blow.
The most painful swing came after Tech scratched across a go-ahead run in the 13th. TCU answered in the bottom half and ended the marathon before the Red Raiders could regroup.
Now, Texas Tech heads into Sunday’s series finale looking to shake off one of its toughest losses of the season. After a four-hour, 42-minute grind, the Red Raiders will need a quick reset.
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