May 20, 1999

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. - Texas' Jeff Ontiveros' grand slam in the top of the ninth inning broke a 3-3 tie and gave Texas a 7-3 victory against Texas Tech in the first round of the Big 12 Tournament at the Ballpark in Bricktown. Texas Tech, the No. 3 seed, fell to 40-14 overall while Texas, the No. 6 seed improved to 35-22 overall.

The loss was Texas Tech's first conference tournament loss in the first round since 1993.

With the score tied at 3-3, Texas rallied for four runs in the ninth. After a ground out, Jason Moore tripled to right center off Tech starter Shane Wright. That was followed by an intentional walk to Chris Houser. Wright was replaced by Brandon Roberson who loaded the bases with a four-pitch walk to Sam Anderson. Ontiveros' grand slam came on a 1-0 pitch from Roberson.

Texas scored two runs in the top of the first off Wright as Jason Moore's RBI single and Chris Houser's RBI ground out produced the runs. The Longhorns went up 3-0 in the fifth on an RBI single from Jason Moore.

Texas Tech managed only one hit over the first seven innings off Texas starter Dax Leone. But the Red Raiders battled back to tie the game in the eighth when Scott Holzhauer got on base with a one-out single, pinch hitter Allen Marshall walked and was replaced by pinch runner Chris Sampson. Lance Woodcock drove Holzhauer and Sampson home after he lofted a double over the rightfielder's head. He scored when an errant throw on the cutoff rolled into the Tech dugout tying the game.

Leone went 7 1/3 innings and allowed three hits and two runs in striking out five. Reliever D.J. Jones (9-4) earned the victory after striking out four batters and pitching the final 1 2/3 innings.

Texas Tech starter Shane Wright (9-4) struck out seven batters, allowed 10 hits and five runs (all ER) and walked a career-high six batters in earning the loss.

Texas Tech's three runs tied a school Big 12 Tournament record low. Tech's four hits were the least hits registered by Tech in Big 12 tourney play.

The Red Raiders will face Missouri, who lost 2-0 to Baylor in the first round, at 1 p.m. Thursday at the Ballpark in Bricktown.

Big 12 Tournament First Round
TEXAS 7 TEXAS TECH 3
Texas (35-22)	        200  010  004  7  12  1
Texas Tech (40-14)	000  000  030  3  4  0
UT: Leone and Jones (8) and Anderson.  
TTU: Wright, Roberson (9) and Stewart (9) and Bard.  
WP: Jones 9-6.  LP: Wright 9-4.  Save: None.  
Doubles: UT- Pumo; TTU- Woodcock.  Triples: UT- Moore.  
Home Runs: UT- Ontiveros (12).  Time: 2:42.  Att: 7936.