THE RUNDOWN
DBU fell to No. 16 Texas Tech, 8-4, Tuesday afternoon at Rip Griffin Park. The Patriots erased a 4-0 deficit to tie the game late but five free passes and a hit by pitch in the seventh and eighth innings led to four runs as the Red Raiders (2-2) pulled away.

Zach Heaton got the start for DBU (1-3) and kept the scoreboard on zeroes until a ground-rule double and four straight hits lifted Texas Tech to a 4-0 lead in the third. In the Patriots' fourth, George Specht hit the game's only home run, a towering blast to right field to plate three runs and make it a 4-3 ballgame. 

Relievers Peyton Sherlin and Kyle Rich would keep the Red Raiders silent through the next three innings, as Sherlin struck out the side in the fourth, and Rich worked a pair of 1-2-3s in the fifth and sixth. DBU climbed all the way back in the seventh when a Luke Heefner sacrifice fly scored Nate Rombach. The Texas Tech transfer drew a walk, stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error before coming home to earn DBU's last run of the day.   

Texas Tech drew three straight walks to take a 5-4 lead in their half of the seventh. A combination of Patriot pitchers would try to put out the flames in the eighth, but two more walks and a hit by pitch loaded the bases once more for the Red Raiders. Cole Stilwell and Ty Coleman would push across three more scores as Texas Tech closed the game with momentum on their side. 

THREE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW 
-Texas Tech improves to 19-11 in the all-time series.
-DBU starts the season 1-3 for the first time since 2013. 
-Miguel Santos begins his collegiate career on a four-game hit streak.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS 
6 - The Patriots used six pitchers versus the Red Raiders.
8 - DBU has eight home runs through four games..  
8 - First-year Patriot Miguel Santos leads the team with eight hits

UP NEXT
DBU comes home to face Sam Houston State this weekend at Horner Ballpark. Game one is scheduled for Friday at 6:30 p.m.