Baseball Drops Opener of NCAA Regional Play to Host Texas Tech, 6-3

Friday, June 4

Lubbock, TX

12 p.m. ET

Army West Point

28-24

Texas Tech

37-15

Army West Point

Texas Tech

Baseball Drops Opener of NCAA Regional Play to Host Texas Tech, 6-3

June 04, 2021 | Baseball

Box Score

LUBBOCK, Texas – Army West Point jumped on the board first, but three long balls by No. 8-seeded Texas Tech was too much for the Black Knights to overcome as they fell, 6-3, on Friday afternoon at Rip Griffin Park.

The Black Knights (28-24) collected eighth hits on the day to Texas Tech's nine, but five runs off three home runs for the Red Raiders (37-15) was the difference.

Offensively, Tim Simoes, Hunter Meade and Jeremiah Adams each had two hits on the day, with Simoes and Adams each driving in one run. Adams launched a solo home run, his second of the year in the seventh inning.

The Black Knights got on the board first, manufacturing a run in the top of the first. Kevin Dubrule doubled with one out to get the offense going. A ground out advanced him to third and Tim Simoes laid down the perfect bunt single to bring home Dubrule from third and just like that, the Black Knights took an early lead on the Red Raiders.

The Red Raiders answered back in the bottom of the second, as Parker Kelly delivered an RBI double and we had a tie ballgame.

In the third inning the Black Knights took the lead back 2-1 with some heads-up baseball. Hunter Meade stole third as Anthony Giachin struck out at the plate, but Red Raider catcher Braxton Fulford delivered an errant throw to third, allowing Meade to come home on the error.

The Texas Tech offense exploded after that however, as Cal Conley delivered a two-run home run in the third, his first of two on the day and the Red Raiders took a 3-2 lead.

Following suit with the big fly was Fulford for Texas Tech, as he delivered a two-run home run in the fourth and the Red Raiders lead, 5-2.

In the top of the fifth, the Black Knights tried to manufacture a run, as Meade singled to right and it got underneath the glove of the Red Raider right fielder for a two-base error. Meade attempted for the inside the park home run, but a perfect relay throw from right to second to home beat him at the plate for the second out of the inning.

Conley then delivered his second home run of the day, this one a solo shot in the fifth inning to put the Black Knights in a 6-2 hole.

After scoring five unanswered runs in the third through fifth innings, the Black Knights cut into the lead with a Jeremiah Adams home run in the seventh inning to pull within three, 6-3.

However, that was all the Black Knight offense could muster down the stretch, as Red Raider reliever Connor Queen tossed a scoreless eighth before handing the ball over to Micah Dallas for his second save of the year after putting up a zero in the ninth. Red Raider starter Chase Hampton improved to 4-0 on the year after tossing 6.0 innings of two-run (one earned) baseball as he scattered seven hits, walked one and struck out seven.

Army starting pitcher Anthony LoRicco tossed 6.0 innings in the loss, allowing six earned runs on eight hits with two walks and six strikeouts.

Reliever Joel Rubin threw a scoreless seventh inning, but after walking the first batter in the eighth, he gave way to reliever Trevor Finan. However, after Finan walked the only batter he faced, the Black Knights went back to the bullpen for Teddy Lepcio who threw a scoreless ninth inning.

WHAT THEY SAID

Head Coach Jim Foster
On today's game…
"I thought it was a good ballgame. I was proud of the guys. I thought they hit a lot of balls hard, solid contact. We played good defense, didn't make any errors. I thought we were a little big with two strikes. That is one of the things we talked about after the game. But I thought they did a great job. They played hard, they ran the bases, they played the way we play. But you face some good hitters, you make a few mistakes and they put some good swings on the ball and they did what you are supposed to do with those pitches. They did a nice job on their end, we did a nice job on our end and I thought it was a good ballgame."

Jeremiah Adams, Sr., INF/OF
On today's game…
"I think we just played our game. We try to play fast, run the bases like banshees, and work the short game, and get two-out knocks. Early on, we scratched across a couple runs Army style, and I think really what Chase did was settle into that game. He did a good job across those middle innings. But like coach said, we ran into a lot of barrels that got caught. A few more of those fall in and it's a different ballgame. I think the boys played an awesome game today."

On his home run in the seventh inning…
"It was a fastball right over the heart of the plate. Coach always talks about selling out to a pitch, especially if you are going to go on the first one. He gave Ross [Friedrick], who I think is one of our best hitters, three in a row the at bat before. So I went up thinking that if I got a fastball over the middle I was going to try to do some damage with it and I am blessed to be in this situation and make some damage on that pitch."

NOTES

The Black Knights are now 4-17 all-time in NCAA Regional play.
They are 0-2 vs. Texas Tech.
Under head coach Jim Foster, the Black Knights are in their third-straight NCAA Tournament and ninth in program history.
The Black Knights are 1-5 in Regional play under Coach Foster.
Jeremiah Adams hit his second home run of the year.
Adams, Simoes and Meade each had two hits on the day.
Freshmen pitchers Joel Rubin and
Starter Anthony LoRicco made his second appearance and first start vs. Texas Tech and took the loss, tossing 6.0 complete innings, allowing six runs on eight hits with two walks and six strikeouts.
Army's three other pitchers to see action – Joel Rubin, Trevor Finan and Teddy Lepcio all made their NCAA Regional debut.
Four other Black Knights made their NCAA Regional debuts – Hunter Meade, Kevin Dubrule, Sam Ruta and Ross Friedrick.

WHAT'S NEXT

The Black Knights will play in the Lubbock Regional elimination game, facing the loser of the No. 2 seeded UCLA Bruins vs. the No. 3 seeded North Carolina Tar Heels, on Saturday, June 5 at 3 p.m. ET at Rip Griffin Park in Lubbock, Texas.