Box Score
ROUND ROCK, Texas – Tim Tawa's two-run home run in the top of the first inning gave Stanford an early lead on Saturday night at the Round Rock Classic, but it wasn't enough to keep up with No. 6 Texas Tech in a 7-2 setback.
Christian Molfetta walked with one out in the first and Tawa followed with a deep blast to left for the early lead. Despite having baserunners in each of the first seven innings, though, the two runs in the first were all the Cardinal could muster against the Red Raiders.
Texas Tech closed the gap with a two-out, solo home run in the home half of the first to cut the Cardinal lead in half. The Red Raiders tied the game in the bottom of the second as a one-out double came around to score on a sacrifice fly.
Freshman left fielder Brock Jones had a double in the top of the third, the first of his team-best two hits in the game. He stole third, but was stranded there to end the threat.
Cardinal pitching was hurt by wild pitches in the game, as a leadoff walk in the bottom of the fourth advanced to second on a wild pitch and eventually scored on an error to give Texas Tech the lead for good, 3-2.
Stanford turned to Zach Grech in relief following a leadoff double in the bottom of the fifth and he would keep the Red Raiders off the scoreboard each of the next two innings.
The Red Raiders got to Grech in the bottom of the seventh as the first three batters registered hits – a single, triple and single – as Texas Tech scored three runs in the inning to put the game out of reach. They added the seventh run in the bottom of the eighth for the final score of 7-2.
Stanford will close play at the Round Rock Classic on Sunday morning. First pitch against Tennessee (6-0) at Dell Diamond is set for 9 a.m. PT