Kevin Bazzell caps ninth-inning rally with game-winning hit to lead Texas Tech over Oklahoma
Red Raiders third baseman snaps a 9-0 tournament skid with a bases-loaded single for the final win
Don Williams, Lubbock Avalanche-Journal
Wallace Clark stood stock still at third base as a group of Red Raiders players ran past him.
He was still processing what had just happened, just like the rest of his companions.
Despite entering the bottom of the ninth with a two-run lead, seventh-seeded OU suffered a 10-9 loss to sixth-seeded Texas Tech on Thursday in the second round of the Big 12 Tournament.
The Red Raiders won via Kevin Bazzell’s single. The redshirted freshman hit a pitch off Braxton Douthit and sent a liner to Clark, who couldn’t get a clean scoop.
The ball passed Clark and it didn’t take long for the Texas Tech bench to storm Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas.
OU will face second seed OSU in an elimination game at 6:30 p.m. Friday. The Sooners earned a 9-5 victory over the Cowboys in the first round on Wednesday.
OU took advantage of Texas Tech’s mistakes early on.
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After scoring a run in the top of the first inning via a bases-loaded walk, the Sooners increased their lead into the next frame.
Kendall Pettis grounded out to Bazzell, who watched as the ball bounced off his glove and rolled out of bounds. Two runs scored, giving OU a 3-0 lead.
The Sooners’ lead then grew to 5–0 in the top of the fourth inning when Bryce Madron hit a two-run single.
But Texas Tech weathered the storm. The Red Raiders scored four runs in the bottom of the fourth inning, and Gage Harrelson capped the scoring drive with an RBI single.
Now trailing 9-5 in the bottom of the seventh inning, Texas Tech continued to cut the deficit. Dylan Maxcey added to the cause by driving a ball over the wall in left field for a two-run home run.
The Red Raiders then completed the comeback in the bottom of the ninth inning by scoring three runs.
Madron finished with two RBIs and a run on 2-for-3 hits, while Anthony Mackenzie posted two RBIs and a run on 2-for-4 hits.
The blown game is especially heartbreaking for the Sooners, who came to Arlington in the bubble of the NCAA Tournament. They will be looking to strengthen their chances of securing an overall bid with another Bedlam win on Friday.
