LUBBOCK, Texas – No. 8 Texas Tech baseball built a pair of three-run leads Friday afternoon before holding on for an 8-6 victory over No. 9 Oklahoma State in the NCAA Lubbock Super Regional opener inside Dan Law Field at Rip Griffin Park.
The victory pushes Tech (43-17) one win away from its fourth College World Series in the past six years. Tech can secure its spot in Omaha Saturday evening when the two teams meet again in a 5 p.m. first pitch.
The Red Raiders jumped on the Cowboys (39-20) early, scoring two runs in the second off a RBI single up the middle from Dylan Neuse and another in the third from a Cody Masters solo home run, his first of the postseason and fifth of the season.
Tech added three more runs in the fourth from a Brian Klein RBI single and a two-run error off a dropped fly ball in center field. Kline was one of four Red Raiders with at least two hits as he finished 2-for-3 overall with two RBI after padding Tech’s lead with a sacrifice fly in the eighth.
Josh Jung, meanwhile, headlined the later innings as the Big 12 Co-Player of the Year crushed the first pitch of the seventh over the fence in center field and then added a key defensive stop in the eighth. Jung, who homered for the 12th time this season, dove to his left to field a hard-hit grounder from Alix Garcia to make the final out of the inning and prevent the tying run from scoring from second.
At the plate, Jung was 2-for-5 on the day, joining Neuse (2-for-4), Klein and Kurt Wilson (2-for-4) with multi-hit outings. He nearly went deep again in the eighth as he sent Carson McCusker into the wall in right field for the final out of the frame.
Oklahoma State made it a one-run game three times on the afternoon with a pair of two-spots in the fourth and seventh innings and then another run in the eighth. Tech answered with at least one run in the bottom half of the inning each time, however, as the Red Raiders never entered a new frame with anything short of a two-run lead.
Micah Dallas (7-0) earned the win for Tech on the mound after allowing three runs (two earned) off five hits and a season-high nine strikeouts before giving way to Dane Haveman to start the sixth. John McMillon closed out the victory for his third save of the season following two innings of work where he gave up only an unearned run off a hit and three strikeouts.
Jensen Elliott (10-4) took the loss for the Cowboys after surrendering six runs (four earned) off seven hits and four walks over four complete innings. He was one of four Cowboy pitchers in a losing effort.
The Red Raiders improve to 4-0 in the 2019 NCAA Tournament after sweeping the Lubbock Regional last weekend. They are also 4-0 against the Cowboys this season with a sweep of the Pokes back in April.
Tech will send right-hander Caleb Killian (8-3) to the mound Saturday evening against Oklahoma State projected left-handed starter Parker Scott (3-1). Coverage will be provided nationally on ESPNU.
