Travel-weary Bison pop Texas Tech in series opener
Because of travel delays stemming from a winter storm, members of the North Dakota State baseball team showed up to Lubbock in three groups, the last not arriving until shortly before it was time to play ball.
The Bison didn't let it show up in their play.
North Dakota State beat No. 19 Texas Tech 8-1 Friday night in the series opener with pitchers Cade Feeney and Skyler Riedinger allowing four hits, matching the Red Raiders' season low, and the defense behind them playing error-free.
"We had guys that were probably up against it and tired, especially waking up at 3 a.m. the last couple of days," Bison coach Tyler Oakes said, "but they did a really good job."
Tech (20-10) originally was scheduled to host North Dakota State (8-20) in single games Thursday, Friday and Saturday. The series was rescheduled to a single game Friday afternoon and a doubleheader Saturday. Early Friday, the opener was pushed back five hours to 7 p.m. The doubleheader Saturday is still on for 2 p.m.
The Bison's flight Wednesday was canceled, and they bussed the 234 miles southeast from Fargo, North Dakota, to Minneapolis on Thursday morning. Then they split into a group of 15 and a group of 18.
"The 15 got in last night (Thursday), probably about 7 or 8 o'clock," Oakes said. "And then the group of 18 came in two different flights from Minneapolis and Dallas into Lubbock. One group got in probably about 1 p.m, and then the other group got in just before game time.
"The guys that got here last night, we had four or five position players, six or seven pitchers and two coaches. And we had two coaches back with the other two groups."
One of the game-day arrivals was Feeney (3-3), who went six innings and allowed three hits, one a homer by Austin Green in the second. Riedinger pitched the last three innings for the save.
In his past three starts, Feeney has pitched 19 innings and held opponents to 11 hits and three runs, one unearned.
"I think those guys commanded the fastball," Tech coach Tim Tadlock said. "Feeney commanded the changeup and the slider, which you knew going into it ... . He's been very good through the year. No big surprise that he went out and went six innings. You're just trying to keep it where it's a game and get to the bullpen, and we didn't necessarily do that."
Shortstop Druw Sackett went 4 for 6 with three doubles and three runs batted in. North Dakota State broke open the game with a four-run ninth that Sackett capped with a two-run double.
"I was with the guys that got in yesterday," Sackett said of the travel, "so kind of lucked out. It was hard to see all the other guys stay back and not be able to get here (Thursday), but they showed a lot getting here and getting ready to play and doing their thing."
The Bison have lost 13 games this season by three runs or fewer with seven of those against Arizona State, Arizona, Texas, Texas State and Nebraska.
"Our guys have faced a lot of adversity all year," Oakes said. "I'm proud of the way they played and competed. That's kind of the level of expectation.
"People look at our record and don't think we're any good, and I think we're a good competitive team that can play with anyone around, and it's cool to get into these type of environments and give these guys these type of experiences when they play like that."
In addition to the strong pitching, North Dakota State played error-free, including a heads-up play in the fifth inning. With one out and Hudson White on first, Owen Washburn hit a pop-fly single that fell in shallow left between left fielder Terrell Huggins, shortstop Sackett and third baseman Jack Steil.
As White raced to an uncovered third base, Huggins ran the ball nearly back to the infield and threw it to Feeney, who hustled over and tagged out White sliding in.
Tadlock said it wasn't just the pitching that in the Red Raiders.
"They played great defense too," Tadlock said. "Left fielder made two really good plays. Third baseman made a couple of good plays. It goes hand in hand. You've got to play defense behind them."
Short hops
Kevin Bazzell, who started Tech's first 33 games this season at third base, made his first start at catcher. Regular catcher Hudson White played third.
Bazzell has been a catcher in the past, and Tadlock noted that Tech opponents had 51 stolen bases in 63 attempts before Friday. White has started 17 games behind the plate this season and freshman Dylan Maxcey 12.
"We just thought the stolen-base attempts have been really high," Tadlock said. "We caught Bazzell on Wednesday in intrasquad and just really felt like we wanted to get him in the mix back there. I don't know that we'll stick with it or not. I thought he caught really good. He threw the one guy out that ran. ...
"We've got three of them. I do think he's the best thrower out of the three and have thought that for some time. But you've got to have a combination of things." ...
Friday was Tech's fifth home loss to a non-conference opponent in five seasons, the others coming against Oregon and UT-Rio Grande Valley in 2019, Abilene Christian last year and Iowa last month.
NORTH DAKOTA STATE 8, TEXAS TECH 1
ND State 002 110 004 — 8 13 0
Texas Tech 010 0000 000 — 1 4 2
Feeney, Riedinger (7) and Busch; Girton, Fast (5), Coombes (6), Bridges (8), Devine (9), Crowley (9) and Bazzell. W—Feeney (3-3). L—Girton (2-1). Sv—Riedinger (3). 2B—North Dakota State, Hamilton (3), Sackett 3 (11), Dunlap 2 (7), Busch (7). HR—Texas Tech, Green (7). Records: South Dakota State 8-20, Texas Tech 20-10.
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Travel-weary Bison pop Texas Tech in series opener
