When Kaysen Raineri gave up three consecutive home runs and then hit a batter with his next pitch, umpire Mark Winters ejected Raineri from the Texas Tech baseball series opener at Cincinnati on Thursday, May 14.
When Tim Tadlock came out to protest, the Tech coach got tossed, just like his starting pitcher.
Any silver lining? If you’re going to lose, at least lose fast. Texas Tech did. Cincinnati run-ruled the Red Raiders 13-1 in seven innings, needing only 2 hours, 14 minutes to send the Red Raiders back to their hotel.
Dick Howser Trophy semifinalist Quinton Coats hit his 26th and 27th home runs for Cincinnati, and Jack Natili unloaded his 15th and 16th. Derrick Pitts also homered for Cincinnati (36-18, 16-12 in the Big 12), which is looking to win its sixth consecutive conference series.
Raineri (4-2) gave up all five homers, including three-run blasts by Coats in the first inning and Natili in the third. The sophomore righthander trailed 7-0 entering the fourth inning before Coats, Pitts, and Natili homered back to back to back, making it 11-0. After a mound visit, Raineri hit Enzo Infelise with his first pitch. He was ejected, and Tadlock’s ejection followed.
Tadlock was ejected for the second time this season, the first time on April 2 in a home series opener against Houston.
Coats, who broke Cincinnati’s single-season home runs record on May 5, also doubled twice and finished with six runs batted in, giving him 73. Natili had four RBIs.
Kyeler Thompson had two of the five hits by Tech (26-26, 9-19). Connor Shouse drove in the Red Raiders’ run with a fifth-inning single.
Bearcats starter Nathan Taylor (6-2) went 5 1/3 innings, giving up the run on four hits and a walk. The junior righthander struck out seven.
The series at UC Baseball Stadium continues with games at 5 p.m. on Friday, May 15, and at noon on Saturday, May 16. It’s the final weekend of the regular season before the top 12 finishers in the conference advance to the Big 12 tournament in Surprise, Arizona.
Tech’s loss, coupled with Arizona (19-32, 9-19) winning 7-4 at Oklahoma State, left the Red Raiders and the Wildcats tied for 12th place. If Tech and Arizona finish in a two-way tie, Tech’s winning twice in a three-game series at Arizona is the tiebreaker for the Red Raiders.
Tech remains one game behind 11th-place Kansas State (27-25, 10-18), which lost its series opener at Central Florida 10-6.
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Kaysen Raineri, Tim Tadlock ejected as UC routs Texas Tech baseball
Reporting by Don Williams, Lubbock Avalanche-Journal / Lubbock Avalanche-Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
