LUBBOCK, Texas – The New Mexico State baseball team traveled to Lubbock, Texas to take on No. 3 Texas Tech on Tuesday at Dan Law Field in Rip Griffin Park. NM State's bats cooled off from the weekend as they were held scoreless by TTU and fell on the road, 12-0.
NM State's (2-2)
Brock Whittlesey took the mound against Texas Tech (5-0) righty Ryan Shetter. Each pitcher made easy work early on with Shetter putting the Aggies down in order at the top of the first, followed by Whittlesey allowing no hits and leaving two runners stranded.
The Aggies got their first hit of the contest in the top of the second when
Caleb Henderson reached on an infield single. However, the baserunner was caught stealing and the Aggies were held scoreless.
Texas Tech then had their first hit of the game with a solo home run with only one out in the bottom half of the third to take a 1-0 lead. Whittlesey would pitch just one more frame before the Aggies went to the pen with one out in the fourth inning, bringing in
Andrew Edwards for his first career appearance.
The Red Raiders added to the lead they had over the Aggies in the bottom of the fifth inning. With no outs and one man on, TTU began the scoring on a two-run homer with no outs in the inning. Two more two-run shots followed for the Red Raiders who closed out the fifth ahead of NM State 7-0.
In the top of the seventh, the Aggies got just their second runner of the game in scoring position when
Mason Fishback laced a double down the left field line. Then a groundout moved Fishback just 90 feet from home plate, but that's where he would stay to end the inning as NM State was kept off the board.
The scoring continued for Texas Tech in the eighth inning when they loaded the bases with zero outs. A two-run double to left center began an inning that saw the Red Raiders bring in four runs before the first out was recorded. A sacrifice fly capped off the eighth inning total before a double play ended the frame with NM State trailing 12-0.
Despite getting a pair of runners on in the ninth, the Aggies could not bring them home and were shutout in the midweek contest by No. 3 Texas Tech. Ryan Shetter (2-0) earned the win and
Brock Whittlesey (0-1) was charged with the loss.
NM State is back in action for a three-game weekend series when they play host to Mississippi Valley State at Presley Askew Field beginning on Friday, Feb. 23, at 4 p.m. MT.
