LUBBOCK, Texas – Oklahoma State run-ruled Texas Tech in seven innings Friday at Rip Griffin Park, opening the weekend series with a 16-6 victory.
With the win, the Cowboys improved to 26-16 overall and 9-10 in Big 12 play, while TTU is now 22-20 and 6-13 in the league. It marked OSU's second consecutive run-rule triumph and seventh of the season.
Aidan Meola homered and drove in a career-high six runs on a career-best four hits for the Pokes, while Sebastian Normanwas 3-for-4 at the plate and also went deep while collecting three RBIs. Alex Conover joined that duo with a three-hit day.
Ethan Lund picked up the win on the mound to improve to 4-1. The southpaw worked six innings and struck out four while allowing five runs on 10 hits.
OSU jumped out to an early lead in the first inning. Conover drew a walk to lead off the game, and after advancing to third on a balk and groundout, he scored on a single by Meola to put the Pokes up 1-0.
The Red Raiders tied the game with a two-out hit of their own in the bottom of the inning, getting a double off the wall in left field to knot things at 1-1.
The Cowboys wasted no time going back on top. Norman led off the second inning with a single, and Garrett Shull followed with a two-run home run over the wall in right-center field. The blast was Shull's ninth of the season.
OSU continued to light up the scoreboard in the third. Campbell Smithwick got the scoring started with an RBI single to plate the Cowboys' fourth run, and Norman crushed a three-run homer to left to extend the advantage to 7-1.
The visitors were far from done. An RBI single by Ritchie made the score 8-1 before Meola stepped to the plate and delivered a grand slam over the left-field wall.
Leading 13-5, OSU put the game away in the seventh. With the bases full of Cowboys and one out, Meola singled to bring home a run, and Smithwick followed with a two-RBI double into the left-center field gap to push the lead to 11.
The Red Raiders managed their final run in the bottom of the frame against reliever Kai Fyke, who struck out two in his lone inning of work.
The two teams return to action Saturday at 1 p.m.
