Feb. 17, 2002

Box Score

ROUND ROCK, Texas - Nathan Fouts gave up just two runs on two hits to lead Texas Tech to a 6-2 win over the Southwest Texas Bobcats in the final game of the Lone Star Classic at the Dell Diamond in Round Rock on Sunday afternoon.

With the win, Texas Tech improves to 8-4 while Southwest Texas falls to 7-2.

The Red Raider scored the initial two runs of the game in the top of the fifth inning thanks to RBI singles by third baseman Nick Blankenship and designated hitter Cody Fuller that plated Jon Slack and Brent Fossum. Slack reached base as the leadoff hitter on an error by Southwest Texas shortstop Ignacio Suarez and Fossum reached on a walk by Paul Schappert.

Junior left fielder tacked on another run for Tech in the top of the sixth when he hit a solo home run over the left field wall giving him his third of the season. Slack's solo bomb was the first home run hit by any team in the Lone Star Classic.

Nick Blankenship added to Tech's lead again in the seventh when he hit his fifth home run of the season, a two-run shot over the center field fence, giving the Red Raiders a 5-0 cushion. Senior center fielder Tyler Carson scored Willie Durazo from second base with two outs in the inning with a single to left field giving the Red Raiders a 6-0 lead.

Tech's Nathan Fouts (2-1) watched his no-hitter hopes come to an end in the bottom of the seventh when Bobcat hitter Evan Tierce hit a single to left field. Southwest Texas' --- Younk scored the first runs of the game for the Bobcats when he hit a two-run homer over the center field wall in the bottom of the seventh to bring the score to 6-2. Fouts had retired 18 consecutive batters in the game prior to Tierce's single.