The Red Raiders (23-24, 7-17 in the Big 12) desperately needed a rally to extend their season and keep postseason hopes alive. An unexpected day to get some rest and a sub-.500 opponent ended up being the perfect setup for them to kickstart a run at just the right time. However, the same frustrating script that had played out all season resurfaced again against Baylor. Texas Tech leaving Waco with another series loss does little to inspire confidence moving forward. Still, the weekend wasn’t all bad for Red Raider Baseball overall.
Series Looked Similar To The Last Five
Weather forced the opening game of the Waco series to Saturday for a doubleheader. The bats were still sleeping in during the first game as they only mustered up four hits in a 1-8 loss. Signs of life and momentum appeared late in the nightcap. Down 10-2 entering the top of the eighth, Texas Tech put four on the board. They pushed across three more in the 9th before they left the tying run on third base to close out a 9-10 defeat.
Sunday, the Red Raiders finally broke through with an 8-3 victory. The third game was hardly drama-free as Texas Tech was down 3-1 going into the top of the eighth before pulling away. It was only the third conference game, and only the 6th all season, in which the pitching staff held the opponent to three or fewer runs. Junior Donovan Becerra picked up his first career Big 12 start, going five-plus innings and allowing just three hits and one run.
Red Raider Baseball’s Big 12 Tournament Hopes Dangling
Until the Texas Tech baseball team won on Sunday, they were in the midst of a nine-game Big 12 losing streak. But that last win has proven to be critical. With just two conference series left, the Red Raiders grabbed hold of the last spot in the Big 12 tournament. Thanks to Arizona’s current five-game losing streak, Texas Tech and the Wildcats hold the same 7-17 conference record, with the tiebreaker favoring the team from Lubbock. That is because the last time Texas Tech won a Big 12 series, it was against those Wildcats back in late March, taking two of three in Tucson.
Their final two series are a final home stand against BYU this week and will close out the regular season at Cincinnati. Those teams are currently eighth and sixth in the Big 12 standings, respectively. Meanwhile, Arizona gets last place, Houston next, who is 4-20 in Big 12 play. The Wildcats close on the road against Oklahoma State, currently riding a six-game winning streak and sitting in the fifth spot of the conference standings.
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This article originally appeared on Red Raiders Wire: Red Raider Baseball Conference Series Losing Streak Pushes To Six
Reporting by Andrew McCleary, Red Raiders Wire / Red Raiders Wire
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