This story has been updated with post-game video and comments.
The unreliable state of the Texas Tech baseball pitching staff this season has led to the Red Raiders playing from behind more often than they’d like. Tech hitters have used the deficits as a launching pad for come-from-behind victories.
Connor Shouse, Robin Villeneuve and A.J. Goytia unloaded two-run homers in a seven-run sixth inning as the Red Raiders rallied past UT-San Antonio 10-5 in a non-conference series finale Wednesday, March 11, at Dan Law Field/Rip Griffin Park.
The Red Raiders have won five games this year after they trailed by three or more runs.
“Obviously, we’ve proven in the past and I think our lineup … whatever the score is, we just know we can find a way to put a big, big inning together,” Villeneuve said. “We just do good at-bats after good at-bats. I think our offense, it doesn’t really matter the score of the game. I think we just go and compete and good things will happen.”
Tech (11-5) scored nine consecutive runs after UTSA (14-3) got a two-run homer from Josh Arquette for a 4-1 lead in the fourth.
Tech batted around in the sixth, which started with a leadoff triple from Tracer Lopez. Shouse followed with his fourth homer. After Logan Hughes singled and Linkin Garcia doubled, Caden Ferraro’s groundout tied the score 4-4.
Villeneuve’s team-leading sixth home run gave the Red Raiders their first lead. Jesse Rusinek walked and after a pitching change, Goytia greeted Lubbock-Cooper grad Jake Qualia with the third home run of the inning, making it 8-4.
Villeneuve’s two-run single in the seventh increased the lead to 10-4.
Goytia, making only his sixth game appearance and second start of the season, also walked twice. A catcher, his playing time has been scarce with the presence of Matt Quintanar and Davis Rivers.
“Just trying to stay positive,” Goytia said. “Just trying to be a good teammate as well. Work while you wait and be positive that your opportunity’s going to come, and when it happens, just trust in yourself.”
Will Jordan (2-0) got the win with a scoreless inning in relief.
The two teams split the series. UTSA won Tuesday’s opener 9-8 with Tech rallying from a 9-2 deficit.
“For two days, I thought guys made the effort to make good decisions and thought UTSA pitched really good today up until that point,” Tech coach Tim Tadlock said. “Tip your hat to them. Yesterday they pitched good and today in that game they did.”
The Red Raiders open Big 12 play against Kansas (10-6) with home games at 6:30 p.m. Friday, March 13; 2 p.m. Saturday, March 14; and 1 p.m. Sunday, March 15.
Texas Tech baseball vs. UTSA live updates
Middle of 8th inning: Texas Tech 10, UTSA 5
Josh Arquette singled home a run in the top of the eighth. Jesse Rusinek, going from right field to the mound, escaped a bases-loaded jam by getting Jacob Silva to ground into an inning-ending double play.
End of 7th inning: Texas Tech 10, UTSA 4
Robin Villeneuve came through with a two-run single in the seventh for the Red Raiders. It scored Logan Hughes, who walked, and Linkin Garcia, who singled.
End of 6th inning: Texas Tech 8, UTSA 4
Texas Tech erupted for seventh runs in the sixth inning to take its first lead. The first four batters of the inning hit for the cycle: Tracer Lopez tripled, Connor Shouse drove an opposite-field two-run homer to right field, Hughes singled, and Garcia doubled him to third. Caden Ferraro tied the score 4-4 with a groundout before Villenueve unloaded an opposite-field two-run homer to right-center. After Jesse Rusinek walked, A.J. Goytia hit his first home run of the season, another opposite-field two-run blast to right-center.
Middle of 4th inning: UTSA 4, Texas Tech 1
UTSA cleanup batter Josh Arquette launched a two-run homer off Adam Hayes in the fourth. Arquette hit a 91-mph fastball just beyond the glove of leaping center fielder Kyeler Thompson at the right-center-field wall.
End of 3rd inning: UTSA 2, Texas Tech 1
Texas Tech got on the board in the third with an RBI single from Shouse. With two outs, the Red Raiders had two runners in scoring position, but UTSA reliever Christopher Gutierrez got cleanup hitter Hughes looking at a called third strike.
Middle of 3rd inning: UTSA 2, Texas Tech 0
For the third inning in a row, a Tech pitcher minimized damage as freshman righthander Adam Hayes coaxed an inning-ending double play grounder with the bases loaded. Hayes came on to start the inning and gave up a single, a double and Christian Hallmark’s RBI infield hit within the first four batters. Then he gave up Tech pitchers’ sixth walk before getting out of the jam.
Middle of 2nd inning: UTSA 1, Texas Tech 0
Texas Tech starting pitcher Donovan Becerra yielded a leadoff home run in the second inning to Hallmark, an opposite-field shot to right. That’s the only damage Becerra’s allowed, though he’s had to navigate rough waters, stranding the bases loaded after walking three in the first inning, and stranding two more he walked in the second.
Texas Tech baseball lineup vs. UTSA
Kyeler Thompson, cf
Tracer Lopez, 2b
Connor Shouse, 3b
Logan Hughes, lf
Linkin Garcia, ss
Caden Ferraro, dh
Robin Villeneuve, 1b
Jesse Rusinek, rf
A.J. Goytia, c
Donovan Becerra, p
Texas Tech baseball vs. UTSA
Texas Tech baseball recent results, upcoming schedule
Home games in ALL CAPS. An asterisk (*) denotes Big 12 games.
∎ Friday, March 6: PENN STATE, W 15-7
∎ Saturday, March 7: PENN STATE, W 21-6 (7 innings)
∎ Sunday, March 8: PENN STATE, W 14-4 (7 innings)
∎ Tuesday, March 10: UTSA, L 9-8
∎ Wednesday, March 11: UTSA, W 10-5
∎ Friday, March 13: KANSAS*, 6:30 p.m.
∎ Saturday, March 14: KANSAS*, 2 p.m.
∎ Sunday, March 15: KANSAS*, 1 p.m.
∎ Tuesday, March 17: at Dallas Baptist, 6:35 p.m.
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Texas Tech baseball uses three homers in 7-run sixth to beat UTSA
Reporting by Don Williams, Lubbock Avalanche-Journal / Lubbock Avalanche-Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
