After scoring a combined three runs over their last two games in Arlington, the Red Raider bats got going in the 2022 home opener at Dan Law Field at Rip Griffin Park. Texas Tech posted 10 hits and took a patient approach at the plate all day, drawing seven walks on way to defeating Dallas Baptist, 8-4, on Tuesday afternoon.

Tadlock said he thought the team played a good, clean game today.

“The guys showed a lot of maturity today,” Tadlock noted. “I thought Chase Hampton, Girton, Parish all three of those guys threw the ball really good. Thought the lineup had good at-bats top to bottom.”

Texas Tech would get the scoring started with four runs in the bottom of the third. Parker Kelly and Dillon Carter would lead off the inning with back-to-back singles, and Cole Stilwell would clear the bases with a two-run RBI double.

Ty Coleman ripped a single to left field to bring in Stilwell from second, and Jace Jung would hit a single to advance Coleman to third. The Red Raiders had runners on the corners, first and third with no outs.

Kurt Wilson would hit into a double play, but it was still enough to score Coleman from third to give Texas Tech a, 4-0, lead in the game.

The four-run cushion wouldn’t last long as Dallas Baptist would answer right back with three runs in the top of the fourth. Chase Hampton retired two of the first three batters he faced, but Andrew Benefield was able to get on base with a walk.

Miguel Santos would hit a single for the Patriots to get two runners on with two outs. In the following at-bat, Hampton would get ahead 0-2 in the count against George Specht but couldn’t get out of the inning.

Specht would get ahold of a pitch and send it over the right field wall for the three-run homer to cut the Red Raiders lead down to, 4-3.

Dallas Baptist would eventually tie the game up in the top of the seventh. Brendan Girton would strikeout Specht before issuing a walk to Nate Rombach. Rombach would steal second base before advancing to third on a throwing error.

In the following at-bat, Luke Heefner would bring in the run from third on a sacrifice fly to left field to tie the game up, 4-4. Girton would retire the next two Patriot batters to end the inning.

Girton pitched well in his second appearance of the season for the Red Raiders, and he allowed one unearned run on one hit and had three strikeouts in two innings of relief.

The Red Raiders would retake the lead in the next half inning. Dallas Baptist would retire the first two batters in the bottom of the eighth, but Dillon Carter would double down the right field line to pick up his third hit of the game.

Zane Russell walked the next two Texas Tech hitters to load the bases with Jace Jung due up for the Red Raiders. Jung would draw a walk on a full count to score Carter from third, and Texas Tech reclaimed a, 5-4, advantage.

Tadlock said he thought Jace’s at-bat was a really good under the circumstances.

“He laid off some tough pitches and even the last pitch, the full count pitch, I don't know exactly how far off it was,” Tadlock noted. “Jace does a job dealing with pitches that he can hit and stays in the strike zone.”

The Red Raiders would widen the gap with three more runs in the bottom of the eighth.

Hudson White would draw a walk and Parker Kelly got hit by a pitch to get two on with two outs for Texas Tech. Luke Trahan would then walk Carter to load the bases for the second consecutive inning.

Stilwell hit an infield single up the middle to score White from third and the bases remained loaded. In the next at-bat, Coleman would and hit a single to right field to score two more runs and extend the Red Raiders lead to, 8-4, headed into the final frame.

Trendan Parish was lights out for the Red Raiders, and he shut down the Patriot bats over the final two innings. It took the true freshman only 18 pitches to get through the eighth and ninth, and he struck out three batters and didn’t allow a hit or surrender a walk.

The Texas Tech pitching staff was solid for most of the afternoon and finished the game with a combined 1.68 ERA with 11 strikeouts and allowed only five hits through nine innings.

Chase Hampton made his first start of the season after pitching one inning of relief against Michigan on Friday. Hampton pitched five innings and gave up three earned runs with five strikeouts.

Dillon Carter and Ty Coleman were a combined 1-for-15 in the Statefarm College Baseball Showdown but both players were key focal points for the offense in this game.

Carter was 3-for-4 with a double, a walk, and scored three runs.

Tadlock talked about what Carter brings to the leadoff role for the Red Raiders.

“It’s big anytime you get a leadoff hitter to score three runs, even a couple,” Tadlock said. “You're not going to get the hits every day, but if he can have tough at bats and get across home plate, that's what you're looking for.

Coleman was 2-for-4 from the plate and finished with four RBIs.

“Ty is a really mature hitter, and he’s always hit with men in scoring position,” Tadlock noted. “You kind of know what you're getting with Ty every day as far as at-bats go. He's a tough kid, he's always won, and that's why sitting there in the three.”