Red Raider Hardball :: Texas Tech Loses First Game to Washington St.

Series
Texas Tech (5-1) vs. Bethune-Cookman and Washington St.
Location: Dan Law Field, Lubbock, TX
Radio: Affiliates

Outfield:
LF - Michael Reed (Sr.); CF - Taylor Ashby (Sr.); RF - Barrett Barnes (Fr.)
Infield:
SS - Joey Kenworthy (Sr.)     2ND - Garrett Totten (So.);
3RD - Nick Popescu (Jr.)                                  1ST - Stephen Hagen (Jr.)
C - Jeremy Mayo (So.)
DH - Scott LeJeune (So.)

*Click on the score for boxscore. Texas Tech series preview (pdf).

The Game: It appears that closer Jay Johnson, going two games in a row, had it fall apart in the 8th inning (1.0 IP; 4 H; 3 ER; 0 BB; 1 SO; 1 HBP) although Doran did pitch to one batter in this 8th inning, and walked him, this was all about Johnson having a pretty bad inning. SP Bobby Doran (7.0 IP; 10 H; 3 ER; 2 BB; 7 SO) had an okay line, giving up a ton of hits, but not many runs. RP John Neely (1.0 IP; 0 H; 0 ER; 1 BB; 2 SO) finished the game nicely, but the offense could muster a comeback. The bats were relatively quiet, managing only 9 hits on the game, led by CF Taylor Ashby (2-3; 1 R). LF Michael Reed, RF Bonham Hough and 2B Garrett Totten all had an RBI, but that was about it.

Recaps: LAJ's George Watson writes that it was Johnson just fell apart in the 8th inning:

It is Tech’s first time to come up on the short end of the stick after five consecutive wins to open the season, and it prevents the Red Raiders (5-1) from matching the best start to the season since 2005. The WSU rally also wasted a solid effort from Tech starter Bobby Doran, who despite allowing 10 hits gave up just three runs with a pair of walks and seven strikeouts over seven innings.

But the junior right-hander left after surrendering a leadoff walk in the eighth, and the Cougars (4-0) wrapped four base hits around a sacrifice fly off Johnson (0-1), who appeared in his fifth consecutive game for the Red Raiders.

"I hit the first guy and it just kind of piled up on me," Johnson said. "I’m comfortable with pitching every single day. Sometimes (a bad game) happens. Life goes on, you know?"

Official Site Post Game Quotes:

On tonight's loss to Washington State:

"That was a real good game. Both teams played well defensively. They made a couple of really good plays in the outfield that kept us off the board again by adding another run. But the line is fine, the margin for error is slim when they have a good bullpen and we knew they did. They pitched real guys. You can't walk the leadoff guy in the eighth, and then hit the next guy. And then you're in a position where the next guy makes a perfect bunt, he earned it, he did his job and now we have the bases loaded and they haven't hit a ball past the infield. That's frustrating, giving up runs late. But we'll bounce back. We'll show up again tomorrow. They're a good club, a solid bunch. I thought that was a good ball game."