The resilience of the Texas Tech Baseball program was on full display Sunday afternoon, as the gritty Red Raiders overcame an early 5-0 deficit and a late 7-5 deficit to down Baylor, 9-8 Sunday afternoon at Dan Law Field at Rip Griffin Park.

Seeking a crucial series victory, Texas Tech (11-21, 7-8) used another clutch four innings from senior Jack Cebert as well as a blistering 4-for-4 day from fellow senior Robin Villeneuve to record a rubber-game victory for the first time all season.

The 4-for-4 day for Villeneuve comes on the backs of a 3-for-5 day in the series opener on Friday night.

After Tech saw Baylor (22-13, 6-9 Big 12) strike for two runs in the first and three in the second off starting pitcher Lukas Pirko, the Red Raider offense went to work off southpaw Mason Green in their half of the second.

In the home-half of the second, the Red Raiders loaded the bases on a three straight singles. Ahead in the count 2-1, Tech's next batter, third baseman Garet Boehm, chopped a slow roller to former Red Raider Travis Sanders at second base.

After initially dropping the ball, the infielder collected the ball and attempted to tag Dylan Maxcey for a force out, but Maxcey avoided the tag and got into second safely.

The play scored Villeneuve from third base and kept the bases loaded with nobody out.

Three batters later the Red Raiders made it 5-3 on an RBI five-pitch walk from Kendyl Johnson and an RBI groundout from Tracer Lopez.

Looking to stabilize the game after a wild start, Tech turned to senior Zach Crotchfelt, who did just that, stranding a one-out walk in a scoreless third.

Armed with the momentum from the three spot and the shutdown inning from Crotchfelt, the Red Raiders ultimately tied the game at five, when Villeneuve unloaded on a 83 MPH, 1-1 pitch from reliever Lucas Davenport for his sixth home run of the season.

Villeneuve's blast traveled 371-feet over the left field wall and tied the game at five-all.

The game remained 5-5 until the fifth, when Baylor used a lead-off double by third baseman Pearson Riebock, a wild pitch and RBI single from Sanders to take a 6-5 lead. Baylor ultimately closed the two-run fifth on an RBI groundout from catcher JJ Kennet.

Facing a two-run deficit once again, the Red Raiders immediately placed the tying runs on base on back-to-back singles from Villeneuve and Logan Hughes. With the duo on the corners and nobody out, designated hitter Antonelli Savattere poked a single through the right side that scored Hughes from third and put Villeneuve on second.

Clinging to a one-run lead, Baylor turned to reliever Grayson Murray who promptly threw eight of his first nine pitches wide of the strike zone. The lone strike for Murray in that situation came on a 3-0 pitch to Maxcey.

The back-to-back walks loaded the bases and ultimately tied the game at seven.

With bases loaded and no outs, Johnson beat out a would-be double play ball that allowed Savattere to score the go-ahead run from third.

On top for the first time all day, Tech turned to Cebert for the sixth, who promptly retired the Baylor side in order.

Looking for a key insurance run in the sixth, the Red Raiders again used back-to-back singles to place runners on the corners, this time for the team-leader in RBIs, Hughes, who lofted a sac-fly for his team-leading 38th RBI.

With Tech up 9-7 in the seventh, the Red Raiders saw Baylor used a hit-by-pitch, a stolen base and an infield single to put the tying runs on the corners with one out.

Looking to limit the damage to just one, Cebert used a pair of groundouts to escape with the lead, at 9-8.

After a 1-2-3 seventh from Baylor's Gabe Craig, Cebert returned for the eighth and worked around a one-out error using a tailor-made 6-6-3 double play to fire a zero.

The drama built in the top of the ninth when with two outs and nobody out, Sanders delivered his eighth hit of the weekend, a single through the right side.

With Sanders at first as the tying run, Baylor's next batter, center fielder Ty Johnson also grounded one through the right side, but this time Lopez was able to chase it down and throw to first for the 27th and final out of the game.

After going 2.1 scoreless innings on Friday night, Cebert added four more, one-run innings on Sunday afternoon to record his second victory of the weekend. The reliever is now a perfect 4-0 in Big 12 play.

UP NEXT:
The Red Raiders head back to Phoenix for the second time this season, this time for a three-game series against Arizona State beginning on Thursday.