 "Photo: Coleman Morefield")
Texas Tech first baseman Chris Richburg's glove web busted in the first inning of Tuesday's game against New Mexico, allowing an easy out to get away.
It foreshadowed what would be in store for the Red Raiders (4-1).
Tech fielders, freshman reliever Louis Head and senior Brian Cloud (1-1) allowed New Mexico a six-run seventh inning with all UNM batters in the lineup getting at least one appearance at the plate.
The disastrous top of the seventh inning cost Tech not only a 10-4 lead, but also gave UNM a lead it never relinquished as the Lobos won 13-10 Tuesday at Dan Law Field.
"When you get into the seventh with a five-run lead, you're supposed to win these games," Tech coach Dan Spencer said. "We let one get away."
The seventh inning started with a single and two UNM batters were hit by pitches from Head to load the bases. A single by Kevin Atkinson brought in a runner, and in the next at bat, a fielding error by Kellen Monreal allowed two more runners to cross the plate, cutting Tech's lead to 10-6.
After a wild pitch and a walk to the next batter, Head was replaced by Cloud with runners at second and third base.
A wild pitch allowed another runner to score before Cloud struck out UNM's Justin Howard. But a walk to UNM's Chris Juarez reloaded the bases with just one out. The next batter, Daniel Gonzalez, singled and batted in two more runs to tie the score 10-10.
A ground out by Mike Brownstein scored the go-ahead run for UNM.
Cloud allowed two more runs in the ninth inning and UNM closer Clinton Cox faced the top third of Tech's batting order, sitting them down in order for the save.
"We feel like the seventh, eighth and ninth is the time you really gotta put some runs together, pitch and play defense," Richburg said. "We really didn't do any of those things tonight."
Tech pitching was shaky for most of the day.
Starter Nate Karns gave up five runs, two walks with two strikeouts in the first two innings before being replaced by Ben Flora.
Flora pitched 2 1/3 innings with strong numbers for the Red Raiders.
During his time on the mound, he allowed just one hit and no walks while delivering four strikeouts.
Flora handed the ball to Head after he struck out a batter for the first out of the fifth inning. Head had 1 2/3 shutout innings before the seventh-inning collapse.
"Unfortunately, those are lessons every young guy has to learn," Spencer said. "It just stinks when they have to learn them while getting beat. But shoot, it's a baseball game."
Offensively, the Red Raiders had strong showings in the first, second and fourth innings when they brought in three, four and two runs, respectively. In addition, five Tech players had at least two hits.
The Red Raiders scored on three different UNM pitchers, racking up eight RBI and sending most of their base runners home with 10 runs on 14 hits.
Richburg hit his second home run of the year, a shot just over the left field wall. He finished the day with three hits and four RBI.
Tech's Scott LeJune also had three hits with one RBI, while catcher Kevin Whitehead, third baseman Justin Berry and shortstop Joey Kenworthy each had two hits.
New Mexico continued a four-game win streak that started in Albuquerque, N.M., with three decisive victories against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.
Tech will try to avenge Tuesday's loss at 2 p.m. today at Dan Law Field.
"We're going to be fired up," Whitehead said. "I don't think there's anybody that was satisfied or even close to happy with this."
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