March 14, 2015
SAN DIEGO, Calif. - Texas Tech and San Diego State reversed roles on Saturday as the No. 13 Red Raiders limited the Aztecs to no runs on five hits en route to an 11-0 victory at Tony Gwynn Stadium. A day earlier it had been Bubba Derby and SDSU that had shut out Texas Tech, 9-0, on three hits, but Saturday belonged to the visitors.
With the win the Red Raiders improved to 13-5 on the season while the loss dropped San Diego State's record to 15-4.
Texas Tech scored two in the second and added four more in the third as it ran out to a 6-0 lead against Aztec starter Cody Thompson. A towering home run to left by TTU left fielder Eric Nesloney accounted for the Red Raiders' final three runs in that span and meant an end to the day for Thompson, who would take the loss to even his record at 1-1.
Texas Tech starting pitcher Cameron Smith, meanwhile, was doing enough to keep the Aztecs off the board over his seven innings of work. He allowed three hits with three walks while striking out six to up his season record to 2-1.
SDSU had two runners on base in both the second and third innings and also had a man on in each of the next two frames, but could not get the hit it needed to break into the scoring column. The Aztec also loaded the bases with one out in the eighth against Red Raider reliever Dalton Brown, but a double play put an end to that threat.
San Diego State used four pitchers in the contest, but none of them had the key to stopping the Red Raider offense as they each allowed at least one run.
Senior center fielder Steven Pallares was the lone SDSU batter to record more than one hit on the day as he finished with a single and double plus a walk in four plate appearances.
San Diego State and Texas Tech will play the rubber game of their three-game series on Sunday (March 15) with first pitch scheduled for 1:00 p.m. (PT) at Tony Gwynn Stadium.