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Brown’s home run, Morehouse’s work in relief lift Texas over No. 14 Texas Tech in series opener

Steve Habelby: Steve Habel03/25/23stevehabel
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Zane Morehouse (courtesy of Texas Athletics)

Porter Brown had three hits, including the game-winning two-run home run in the sixth inning, and Jack O’Dowd added a key two-run double in the eighth for insurance as Texas continued its stretch of solid play with a come-from-behind 6-2 win over No. 14 Texas Tech on Friday in the Big 12 Conference opener for the Longhorns at Disch-Falk Field in Austin.

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The Longhorns (16-7, 1-0 in Big 12) won their 12th straight contest, all at home, and took the first of a three-game weekend series that continues on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. CDT. It was Texas’ first win against a ranked team this season.

Texas Tech started league play last weekend, taking two of three from Oklahoma State in Lubbock. The Red Raiders (18-5, 2-2 in Big 12) had won four of their past five games before this series. 

Zane Morehouse (3-0) pitched the final 3.2 innings in relief of Texas starter Lucas Gordon, retiring all 11 batters he faced while striking out four. Gordon left with one out in the sixth after allowing two runs on six hits and three walks while striking out eight.

Red Raider starter Brendan Girton lasted 5.1 innings, allowing two runs on five hits with a walk and a strikeout. Ryan Free (2-2), the second of four Texas Tech pitchers, took the loss after surrendering Brown’s home run in the sixth. 

Texas threatened in the third when Eric Kennedy doubled with one out. But he was stranded when Peyton Powell flied out and Dylan Campbell lined out to third base.

The Red Raiders loaded the bases with one out in the fourth on a leadoff single by Kevin Bazzell, a strikeout, and back-to-back walks by Gordon to Gavin Kash and Ty Coleman. Gordon then rediscovered the strike zone, striking out Damian Bravo swinging and Tracer Lopez looking to end the threat and keep the game scoreless.

The Longhorns broke through in the bottom of the fourth. Garret Guillemette and Brown singled and were sacrificed to third and second base, respectively, on a bunt by O’Dowd. Mitchell Daly then drove home Guillemette with a sacrifice fly to left field, giving Texas a 1-0 lead.

Texas Tech tied the game in the fifth, when Bazzell’s two-out double plated Nolen Hester, who had doubled with one out. The Red Raiders then went on top in the sixth on a one-out home run over the rightfield fence by Kash.

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Brown, as he has for most of the season, came through in the clutch for the Longhorns in the bottom of the sixth. He ripped his sixth of the season over the left-centerfield fence to score Guillemette and give Texas a 3-2 lead.

Walks to Powell and Campbell in the eighth inning preceded a sacrifice bunt by Guillemette to put two runners into scoring position. Texas Tech chose to intentionally walk Brown and O’Dowd made the Red Raiders play, slashing a two-run double off the base of the rightfield fence. Daly followed with a sacrifice fly to rightfield to drive home Brown and expand the Texas lead to four runs.

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