Texas Tech rolls past Fairfield in NCAA Tournament opener
LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) -- Tyler Neslony drove in four runs and Davis Martin allowed just five hits and one run in seven innings to lead Texas Tech past Fairfield 12-1 on Friday in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament's Lubbock Regional.
Cory Raley added three RBIs, Michael Davis hit his second homerun of the season and leadoff hitter Stephen Smith went 3 for 3 with two walks and two runs scored for the top-seeded Red Raiders.
Texas Tech (42-16) will face the winner of New Mexico-Dallas Baptist, while No. 4 seed Fairfield (32-25) will play the loser in an elimination game, on Saturday.
Raley and Neslony had back-to-back RBI singles in the first inning and Davis' solo homer in the second made it 3-0.
Michael Conti reached base on a throwing error -- after a sacrifice fly -- in the third to load the bases with no outs, but Martin retired the next three Stags.
Neslony's two-out, two-run single in the fourth made it 6-1.
Martin, a freshman and National Pitcher of the Year semifinalist, improved to 9-0.
