For Immediate Release: May 12, 2002
Contact: Dave Geringer, UTPA Director of Athletic Media Relations, (956) 381-2240

BRONCS DROP FINALE AT TEXAS TECH

LUBBOCK, TX –Texas Tech scored six runs in the third inning en route to a 14-2 victory against The University of Texas-Pan American’s baseball team at Dan Law Field Sunday afternoon.

The Red Raiders broke a 1-1 tie with their third-inning explosion, which gave them the lead for good in the third and final game of the teams’ three-game series.

The Broncs had struck first, scoring a first-inning run on a walk to junior second baseman Jerome McCoy (Fort Worth, TX/Eastern Hills HS/Northeast Texas CC), two infield outs and a run-scoring single by senior third baseman Adam Farek (Crockett, TX/Crockett HS/Cedar Valley CC). Texas Tech tied it in the first on a double by right fielder Madison Edwards and a single by catcher Willie Durazo.

Durazo’s triple drove in the Red Raiders’ first run in the bottom of the third. Left fielder Travis McElroy followed with an RBI double, designated hitter Nick Blankenship than tripled to drive in another run, a fourth scored on second baseman Bryon Smith’s sacrifice fly, and Edwards singled home the final two runs of the inning.

Texas-Pan American came back with a run in the fourth. Farek and freshman right fielder Tony Ortiz (Fort Worth, TX/Nolan HS) singled. Farek moved to third when sophomore third baseman Matt Sisk (Fort Worth, TX/Arlington heights HS/New Mexico) hit into a double play, and scored on a wild pitch by starting pitcher Dusty Buck.

Tech added three runs in the bottom of the fifth on Edwards’three-run homer. Smith hit a solo homer in the sixth, and first baseman Austin Cranford hit a two-run homer and shortstop Gera Alvarez doubled in another run in the eighth against Bronc reliever Skip Weast (Jr. Inola, OK/Inola HS/Crowder JC).

Buck, the first of six Red Raider pitchers, pitched five innings to earn the victory and improve his record to 7-1. Sophomore Justin Bogy (West Columbia, TX/West Columbia HS), UTPA’s starter, pitched the first six innings and took the loss, falling to 4-6.

Texas Tech won their 12th game in a row and improved to 37-16 overall. The Broncs lost for the seventh consecutive time, and ended their season with a record of 15-38.

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