LUBBOCK, Texas – Baylor baseball dropped to No. 5 Texas Tech, 4-1, in front of a sold-out crowd on Saturday afternoon at Rip Griffin Park in Lubbock, Texas. The Bears (25-13, 6-8 Big 12) were tied with the Red Raiders (27-9, 8-6 Big 12) heading into the eighth before TTU used a bases-loaded double to seal the win.
 
Both teams were held in check as Baylor had an early opportunity to get on the board with runners on the corners with two outs in the first, however, a ground out ended the threat.
 
Fifth-year senior Hayden Kettler did not allow anyone on base until the fourth, but the game remained scoreless heading into the sixth inning.
 
Baylor scored its only run of the game in the top of the sixth when second-year freshmen Jared McKenzie and Tre Richardson used back-to-back singles to put runners on first and second with one out. A fly out advanced McKenzie to third and a wild pitch gave BU the 1-0 edge.
 
The Red Raiders answered right back in the home-half of the sixth, with a leadoff triple and RBI-single to make it 1-1 going into the seventh. Later in the eighth, TTU used a bases-clearing double to seize control, 4-1.
 
Kettler had a nice outing after throwing 5.1 innings, while only allowing one run and striking out two. Texas Tech starter Micah Dallas threw seven innings, while striking out 10. Baylor reliever Jimmy Winston (6-3) was tabbed with the loss, while Tech reliever Ryan Sublette (5-1) took the win.
 
NOTES
• BU is 6-10 away from Baylor Ballpark.
• The Bears will look to win its third-straight Big 12 series in the rubber match on Sunday.
• For the second-straight week, Kettler threw 5-plus innings, while allowing one run.
• McKenzie is averaging .380 at the plate this season after going 2-for-4 with a run scored.
• Esteban Cardoza-Oquendo went 2-for-3 in the game.
 
QUOTE FROM COACH ROD
"He did a great job (Hayden Kettler). He held down a really good offensive team, but you have to tip your hat to Micah Dallas, he did a great job as well. He threw a lot of different pitches that had our guys baffled a little bit. We had some opportunities early on, but we just needed a two-out hit and we couldn't seem to get it. Tech came up with a big two-out hit late in the game, but Kettler did exactly what we needed him to do, get us into the fifth or sixth inning with a chance to win and he did just that."
 
WHAT'S NEXT
The two teams will play the rubber match tomorrow afternoon at 2 p.m.
 
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