OMAHA, Neb. – Extra base hits were extra special for Texas Tech.
The eighth-seeded Red Raiders used three home runs and an RBI triple to account for all their runs in a 5-4 win over fifth-seeded Arkansas on Monday afternoon in the 2019 College World Series in front of 19,236 fans at TD Ameritrade Park.
TTU (45-19) will play a second elimination game on Wednesday at 6 p.m. against the loser of tonight’s Florida State-Michigan contest. The Razorbacks end their season at 46-20 after a pair of one-run losses.
“We had a hunch these guys were going to be fun to watch with their backs against the wall,” TTU head coach Tim Tadlock said. “We hadn’t been in that position throughout the year. Played really good baseball. Caleb Kilian gave us an opportunity today. The way he pitched gave us an opportunity to come through late in the game.”
“Obviously it was a tough loss,” Arkansas head coach Dave Van Horn said. “Pretty well-played game by both teams. For the most part, there really wasn’t too many mistakes. Just who got the big hit and who didn’t.”
Heston Kjerstad started the scoring in the top of the second for Arkansas, going the other way and depositing a homer in the bullpen in left for his 17th dinger of the season, giving the Razorbacks a 1-0 lead.
“Fastball middle away,” Kjerstad said when asked about the pitch he hit out. “It’s always good for someone to get the team rolling. We feed off each other; once one guy starts hitting, other guys start to follow. So just to be able to get that rolling a little bit for us was good for us as a team.”
Arkansas added to its lead in the third. Christian Franklin had a single to center with one away and stole second. With two gone, Casey Martin sent a liner to left. Kurt Wilson made a diving attempt at the catch, but the ball got past him. Franklin scored and Martin ended up on third with a triple and a 2-0 lead for the Hogs. Matt Goodheart followed with an infield single to short, bring home Martin to make it 3-0.
TTU got on the board in the fourth. Brian Klein walked to start the inning. Josh Jung hit a grounder to short. Martin couldn’t get the ball out of his glove to start a double play, so he went over to touch second for the force on Klein. Cameron Warren blasted a homer to left center, his 18th of the season, as the Red Raiders pulled within one at 3-2.
Leadoff hitter Easton Murrell smacked a two-out homer to right in the fifth, his first of the season, as TTU tied it at 3-3.
Jung gave the Red Raiders their first lead with a leadoff homer in the sixth, his 16th of the season, for a 4-3 advantage.
Dominic Fletcher drew a one-out walk in the eighth for Arkansas and moved to third on a base hit by Kjerstad. After fouling off five straight pitches, Jack Kenley lofted a fly ball into shallow left. Fletcher tagged and scored as the throw home was offline, making it a 4-4 contest.
In the bottom of the eighth, Klein drew a leadoff walk, but was gunned down at second by Casey Opitz on a steal attempt. With two away, Warren drew a walk. When the count went to 3-1 on Cody Masters, Warren was on the move. Masters tripled off the wall in right center to drive in Warren, giving the Red Raiders a 5-4 edge.
“Didn’t have many good at-bats before that,”
Masters said. When I was on deck, took a deep breath, tried to forget
everything and tried to come through for the squad that’s always come through
for me when it mattered.
“All day I was getting myself out on the changeups and sliders. So early
on I was looking to hit that. I got up 3-1, so I scooted up. He was missing
away a little bit, so I figured he’d go there again and I got a hold of a
low-and-away pitch.”
Arkansas made it interesting in the ninth. Jacob Nesbit was hit by a pitch to start the inning. Taylor Floyd came in from the bullpen for TTU and surrendered a hit to Franklin to put runners on first and second with none away. Floyd got Trevor Ezell to pop out, struck out Martin and got Goodheart to fly out to left to secure the win.
“Floyd came in and did a great job,” Van Horn said. “He had an opportunity to let that thing slip away, and he didn’t.”
Caleb Kilian hurled seven solid innings, allowing six hits, one walk, three runs and nine strikeouts.
“I think it improved throughout the game,” Kilian
said. “I don’t think it was that great at the beginning. But I felt like I
had good command with all my pitches for the most part, and I think that’s what
really helped me out.”
McMillon (4-3) recorded the final out of the eighth and picked up the win.
Floyd notched his fourth save.