TCU holds off No. 5 Tech for second win in three-game series
FORT WORTH — Kurtis Byrne went 3 for 4 with two runs batted in and River Ridings recorded his Big 12-leading 10th save despite a controversial finish as No. 26 TCU beat No. 5 Texas Tech 4-3 Friday night, taking the first two in a three-game baseball series.
Tech (27-11, 7-4) lost its third game in a row and sixth in nine games. With two outs in the ninth inning and the bases loaded, plate umpire Seth Buckminster appeared to call Ridings for a balk.
But the crew overturned the call, and Ridings got pinch hitter Trevor Conley on a grounder to second that ended the game.
The series finale is scheduled for 2 p.m. Saturday.
TCU (23-12, 9-5) led 4-0 after seven innings, but Tech rallied with a two-run single in the eighth from Kurt Wilson.
In the ninth, Zac Vooletich doubled leading off, Easton Murrell was hit by a pitch and they both moved up on a wild pitch. After Ridings struck out Cole Stilwell, he walked Jace Jung and then walked Ty Coleman on four pitches, forcing in a run.
Wilson popped out to shortstop before Conley came up.
TCU starter Marcelo Perez (3-1) held the Red Raiders to one hit in five innings, striking out six and walking three. Caleb Bolden pitched two innings, getting out of a two-on, one-out jam in the seventh by striking out Vooletich and coaxing a pop-up from Murrell.
After Tech's first two batters in the eighth reached, Ridings replaced Bolden with the Horned Frogs still up 4-0. Coleman and Wilson greeted him with singles, Wilson's driving in Tech's first two runs. But with runners at the corners and nobody out, Ridings retired the next three batters with no further damage.
Tech starter Brandon Birdsell (5-2) took his first loss since opening weekend against Auburn. He yielded four runs on seven hits. Mason Molina pitched three scoreless innings in relief, allowing one hit and striking out four.
TCU scored two runs in the second inning and two in the sixth. Byrne contributed both times, driving home a second-inning run with a double and a sixth-inning run with a single.
Tech fell 1 1/2 games behind No. 7 Oklahoma State (25-9, 8-2), which took over first place in the Big 12 with a series-opening win Friday night at West Virginia (21-11, 5-2). Tech is even with the Mountaineers and one-half game behind TCU, though the Red Raiders are one better than the Horned Frogs in the loss column.
TCU 4, TEXAS TECH 3
Texas Tech 000 000 021 — 3 5 1
TCU 020 002 00x — 4 8 1
Birdsell, Molina (6) and Stilwell; Perez, Bolden (6), Ridings (8) and Byrne. W—Perez (3-1). L—Birdsell (5-2). Sv—Ridings (10). 2B—Texas Tech, Vooletich (7); TCU, Byrne 2 (11). Records: Texas Tech 27-11, 7-4; TCU 23-12, 9-5.
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: TCU holds off No. 5 Texas Tech for second win in three-game series
