Shanna Rose | WV Sports Chat
LUBBOCK, Texas – Maxx Yehl and Jackson Burns engaged in a pitcher’s duel on Saturday afternoon at Rip Griffin Park as No. 17 West Virginia fell to Texas Tech, 4-1.
Yehl (5-1) pitched 7 1/3 innings, giving up just three runs on 10 hits while striking out eight batters for the Mountaineers (23-8, 9-5 Big 12).
Burns tossed 7 2/3 innings for the Red Raiders (20-14, 6-8), allowing one run on six hits while striking out five.
Sean Smith and Gavin Kelly each had two hits in the loss for WVU.
Jesse Russinek led off the seventh with a base hit and stole second. With one out, Tracer Lopez singled, and Coleman Ryan followed with a single through the right side to score Russinek and give Texas Tech a 1-0 lead.
In the eighth, Gavin Kelly hit a solo home run to left field to tie the game at 1-1.
The Red Raiders regained the lead in the bottom of the eighth with a three-run inning. Yehl allowed back-to-back singles before Steve Sabins turned to Reese Bassinger, who gave up consecutive base hits. Matt Quintar’s hit drove in two runs, and Jesse Russinek added an RBI. After another pitching change, Ian Korn walked a batter, and a run scored on a fielder’s choice before Ryan flied out to end the inning.
Armani Guzman doubled in the ninth, but the Mountaineers’ offense stalled.
WVU will face Texas Tech on Sunday afternoon for the rubber match of the series.
Photo Credit: WVU Athletics
