Texas earned its first Big 12 series win in front of the largest home crowd at Red and Charline McCombs Field this season, thanks in large part to a breakout performance by Bekah Alcozer.
The freshman designated player went two-for-three with four RBIs to lift the Longhorns to an 8-4 win over the Red Raiders on Sunday afternoon.
“I was so excited to get [Alcozer] a start,” head coach Connie Clark said. “She’s had some really quality looks and she’s just been real consistent at practice for us. You’re trying to build those freshmen up and it was really, really nice to see her have a great day for us.”
Texas Tech kicked off the game with a solo blast from Big 12 home run leader — junior right fielder Kierra Miles — in the first.
The Longhorns answered with a big inning that got started with a well-hit ball from senior right fielder Holly Kern that resulted in a Red Raider error and Texas score. Alcozer sent a 3-2 pitch up the middle for a two-RBI single and senior second baseman Stephanie Ceo followed with a RBI double just inside the right field line.
The Red Raiders missed a scoring opportunity in the fourth, but didn’t let another slip away in the fifth. A two-out walk followed by an error on junior shortstop Devon Tunning allowed Texas Tech freshman third baseman Jessica Hartwell to drive in two runs on a double to left-center to cut Texas’ lead to 4-3.
Texas answered in the bottom half of the frame. The Longhorns loaded the bases after Tunning avoided the tag to reach first base safely on a single. Freshman left fielder Reagan Hathaway sent a two RBI double to right field and Alcozer followed with her first career triple, recording two more RBI.
“I was just seeing (the ball) really well today,” Alcozer said. “I felt really good in practice the past couple weeks, and I just did what I do in practice today. I don’t really know how to describe it, it just feels really good.”
Sophomore Paige von Sprecken came in for relief of junior Tiarra Davis in the sixth and gave up a solo homerun to junior catcher Susan Welborn. A throwing error from Ceo and consecutive walks loaded the bases with two down, but sophomore Kristen Clark entered the game and drew an inning-ending groundout from the first batter she faced to secure the game.
Davis earned the win to improve to 16-8 on the season, and Alcozer finished 2-for-3 with four RBI. Texas returns to action in Norman, Oklahoma this weekend for a series against the Sooners.
“We don’t like to be beat,” Felix said. “We wanted the series and going out there and sticking to what we wanted to do was tremendous for us.”
