Texas Tech baseball's Mac Heuer, Parker Hutyra stuff UH in Big 12 opener | Takeaways
The idea of starting over with a clean slate might sound absurdly idealistic for a Texas Tech baseball team that's played as poorly for a month as its record shows.
For one night, though, the fresh-start/anything's-possible belief resonated with the Red Raiders.
Mac Heuer and Parker Hutyra combined on a one-hitter and Tech beat Houston 4-1 Friday night in a Big 12 opener at Schroeder Park. Heuer (1-1) worked six innings, allowing a Connor McGinnis home run in the fourth, and Hutyra pitched three hitless innings for his first save.
Heuer struck out five and matched the longest start of his career; he also went six innings last March in a 7-2 win over Texas.
Damian Bravo and Logan Hughes each had two hits and a run batted in. The Red Raiders' runs all came on RBI singles: by Bravo in the third inning, T.J. Pompey in the fourth, Robin Villeneuve in the fifth and Hughes in the seventh.
Tech (4-11, 0-1) and Houston (11-5, 0-1) play again at 6:30 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday.
Here are three notable developments:
Are Texas Tech starting pitchers starting to find their form?
Four times in the past five games, Tech starters have gone at least five innings and allowed two or fewer runs. Heuer's done it twice, Tyler Boudreau and Zane Petty once each. Boudreau and Petty will try to keep the string going Saturday and Sunday.
That, as much as anything, could be key to turning the season around. Tech went into Friday last in the Big 12 in team ERA by a full run.
Damian Bravo cold spells don't last long
The Red Raiders' junior outfielder won last year's Big 12 batting title. He recently had five multi-hit games in a six-game stretch only to go 1 for 13 in last weekend's three-game series at Grand Canyon. Friday was his seventh multi-hit game of the season.
Did Red Raiders burn one of Cougars' best bullpen arms?
Houston's Antoine Jean threw 63 pitches in a four-inning relief assignment. That's quite a bit in a series opener, though Jean did pitch twice in three days in a season-opening series against Minnesota, 60 pitches in the opener and 13 in the finale.
Jean, who started 14 games last year, has been outstanding in relief this year. In 21 innings, he's struck out 33 and allowed nine hits and a .127 opponent batting average.
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Texas Tech baseball's Mac Heuer, Parker Hutyra stuff UH in Big 12 opener
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