True Freshman Connor Mohan retired the first 10 batters he faced and threw six innings of two run ball to earn his first career win in Texas Tech's 9-2 victory over Abilene Christian, Monday night at Crutcher Scott Field.
Taking the ball for his third-straight midweek start, Mohan turned in his best outing of his career to propel Texas Tech (13-23) to its second-straight road win.
After a three-run top of the first that featured RBI hits from Peyton Schulze and Antonelli Savattere as well as an RBI groundout from Damian Bravo, Mohan got through the first with ease needing just eight pitches to work through a 1-2-3 frame.
In the second, Mohan again retired the side 1-2-3 on just eight pitches to keep the Red Raiders up 3-0 after two.
With two outs and nobody on in the third, Tech used a ground-rule double from Davis Rivers to jumpstart a two-run frame that featured another RBI single from Schulze as well as an RBI single from freshman Coleman Ryan. Rivers has now recorded four extra-base hits in his last three starts while Ryan recorded two hits in another start at shortstop.
Armed with a five-run lead, Mohan continued to cruise as he sandwiched a pair of strikeouts between a grounder to send the game to the fourth.
In the fourth, Tech plated both Kyeler Thompson and Logan Hughes to take a 7-0 lead to the home-half of the fourth. Thompson went 2-for-4 on Monday with two runs scored, an RBI and his 22nd and 23rd stolen bases of the season. Despite missing over a week (four games) due to illness, Thompson still ranks third in the Big 12 in total steals.
Like he did in the first three innings, Mohan made the runs stand up, as the righty stranded his first baserunner of the night, a one-out double.
After another two-spot in the top of the fifth on a wild pitch and a sac-fly from Thompson, Mohan retired the first two batters of the frame before a solo home run by ACUs Reese Borho cut the Tech lead to 9-1.
Facing his first bit of adversity of the night and needing just one more out to move in pole position for his first win, Mohan quickly struck out ACUs Ranse Ratdke to send the game to end the fifth inning.
Returning for the sixth, Mohan again retired the first two batters of the inning, before ACU used two doubles and a walk to pull to within 9-2.
With runners on second and third and two outs, Mohan won a full-count battle with Diego Cardenas, striking out the designated hitter on a breaking ball in the dirt.
The strong pitch was the final that the Burleson native would throw, as he went six innings and allowed just four hits and two runs. Most importantly, the freshman righty walked just one, recording the career-high five punchouts.
With the game well in tow, Tech got three shutout innings in relief from sophomore Lukas Pirko to seal win number 13 on the season. Pirko allowed just one hit and struck out three of his three innings of work.
UP NEXT:
With tomorrow's originally scheduled contest against ACU postponed due to weather, the Red Raiders will next turn their attention to the weekend's series with Arizona. First pitch from Rip Griffin Park on Friday night is set for 6:30 p.m.
