2008 Woodie Awards
Texas wins series against Tech with 4-3 victory
Ben Maki
Issue date: 3/14/08 Section: Sports
Sometimes all it takes is one or two bad pitches to determine the outcome of a ball game.
That's exactly what happened as two bad pitches by Texas Tech freshman starter Chad Bettis helped Texas take the rubber match of the three-game series 4-3 Saturday at Dan Law Field.
"I wasn't nervous at all," Bettis said of his first career start at Dan Law Field. "I came out here and a couple pitches got away from me and they punished me for them. "
After getting the first two batters of the game out, Bettis walked center fielder Jordan Danks, then gave up the first two-run home run of the inning to cleanup hitter Brandon Belt. The other two-run shot came just two batters later on the first pitch to Preston Clark.
After the second home run, Bettis did not give up another hit for 5.2 innings. Then, in the top of the seventh inning, he loaded the bases with two outs. Reliever James Leverton came in and struck out Jordan Danks to get Bettis out of the jam.
Tech reliever Owen Brolsma worked Leverton out of a one-out jam in the eighth by forcing Texas right fielder Preston Clark to hit a sky-high pop out to second base and got designated hitter Tant Shepherd to hit a grounder back to the pitcher.
Bettis (3-1) pitched 6.2 innings, giving up four runs on five hits and striking out two and earned the first loss of his collegiate career.
Texas (16-6, 4-2 in Big 12 Conference play) sent Riley Boening (1-0) to the bump, who had averaged just more than three innings of work in his first four appearances this season, but threw 6.1 innings Saturday, while giving up two runs on eight hits and one walk.
The Texas bullpen gave up one run on one hit and two walks in 2.2 innings of work. Brandon Workman earned his first save of the season, after pitching more than five innings on Thursday.
Tech (11-10, 2-4) scored two runs in the bottom of the second inning playing some small ball. After a single and a double by Doug Thennis and Monk Kreder, respectfully, to start the inning, designated hitter Taylor Ashby hit a sacrifice fly to center to bring in Thennis. Then second baseman Willie Rueda hit a liner to the gap in right-center to bring in Kreder.
Ashby said the Red Raiders kept themselves in the game by making contact, but the ball didn't drop in critical situations.
"It seemed like we were smashing the ball all day," he said, "just hitting the ball right at them. They were making good plays, throwing some defense at us. I felt like we were swinging it we just didn't come up with the hits when we needed them."
The Red Raiders scored another run in the eighth inning when Ashby knocked Thennis around again, this time with a double. Tech had runners on second and third, but Tanner Rindels flied out to right field to end the scoring threat.
Tech is next scheduled to play against UC Riverside at 6:05 p.m. Monday at Dan Law Field.
That's exactly what happened as two bad pitches by Texas Tech freshman starter Chad Bettis helped Texas take the rubber match of the three-game series 4-3 Saturday at Dan Law Field.
"I wasn't nervous at all," Bettis said of his first career start at Dan Law Field. "I came out here and a couple pitches got away from me and they punished me for them. "
After getting the first two batters of the game out, Bettis walked center fielder Jordan Danks, then gave up the first two-run home run of the inning to cleanup hitter Brandon Belt. The other two-run shot came just two batters later on the first pitch to Preston Clark.
After the second home run, Bettis did not give up another hit for 5.2 innings. Then, in the top of the seventh inning, he loaded the bases with two outs. Reliever James Leverton came in and struck out Jordan Danks to get Bettis out of the jam.
Tech reliever Owen Brolsma worked Leverton out of a one-out jam in the eighth by forcing Texas right fielder Preston Clark to hit a sky-high pop out to second base and got designated hitter Tant Shepherd to hit a grounder back to the pitcher.
Bettis (3-1) pitched 6.2 innings, giving up four runs on five hits and striking out two and earned the first loss of his collegiate career.
Texas (16-6, 4-2 in Big 12 Conference play) sent Riley Boening (1-0) to the bump, who had averaged just more than three innings of work in his first four appearances this season, but threw 6.1 innings Saturday, while giving up two runs on eight hits and one walk.
The Texas bullpen gave up one run on one hit and two walks in 2.2 innings of work. Brandon Workman earned his first save of the season, after pitching more than five innings on Thursday.
Tech (11-10, 2-4) scored two runs in the bottom of the second inning playing some small ball. After a single and a double by Doug Thennis and Monk Kreder, respectfully, to start the inning, designated hitter Taylor Ashby hit a sacrifice fly to center to bring in Thennis. Then second baseman Willie Rueda hit a liner to the gap in right-center to bring in Kreder.
Ashby said the Red Raiders kept themselves in the game by making contact, but the ball didn't drop in critical situations.
"It seemed like we were smashing the ball all day," he said, "just hitting the ball right at them. They were making good plays, throwing some defense at us. I felt like we were swinging it we just didn't come up with the hits when we needed them."
The Red Raiders scored another run in the eighth inning when Ashby knocked Thennis around again, this time with a double. Tech had runners on second and third, but Tanner Rindels flied out to right field to end the scoring threat.
Tech is next scheduled to play against UC Riverside at 6:05 p.m. Monday at Dan Law Field.
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