LUBBOCK, Texas (Interstat) — In a pivotal Big 12 Conference matchup defined by dominant pitching and a decisive late rally, the Texas Tech Red Raiders defeated the West Virginia Mountaineers 4-1 on Saturday evening at Dan Law Field at Rip Griffin Park.

The game, a tight contest for seven innings, turned dramatically in the bottom of the eighth when Texas Tech broke a 1-1 tie with a three-run outburst against the West Virginia bullpen. The victory evened the weekend series after West Virginia won the opener 12-8 on Friday.

Texas Tech starter Jackson Burns delivered the performance of the afternoon, earning top star honors by stifling the Mountaineers’ lineup over 7 2/3 strong innings. He allowed just six hits and one earned run while striking out five, effectively matching zeroes with West Virginia’s ace for most of the night. Burns built on his recent form after a quality start against Houston the previous weekend.

West Virginia’s Maxx Yehl was equally brilliant, carrying a no-hitter through 5 1/3 innings and ultimately departing after 7 1/3 innings having allowed just three runs on six hits with eight strikeouts. Despite the no-hit bid, Yehl left with the game tied, a testament to the duel at hand.

The most important part of the game unfolded in the bottom of the eighth inning. With the score knotted at 1-1, Texas Tech’s offense finally broke through against reliever Reese Bassinger. After singles by Garcia and Hughes put two on, Bassinger was replaced. A costly error on a hard-hit single by Quintanar allowed the go-ahead run to score. Jesse Rusinek and Tracer Lopez followed with consecutive RBI singles, plating two more runs to extend the lead to 4-1. The three-run inning provided the final margin.

West Virginia had struck first in the opening frame when Ineich Matt singled and eventually scored on a catcher’s interference call. That 1-0 lead held until the bottom of the seventh, when Texas Tech finally solved Yehl. Rusinek singled, stole second, and scored on an RBI single by Ryan to tie the game.

The Mountaineers immediately responded in the top of the eighth. Catcher Gavin Kelly launched a solo home run to left-center field, a 387-foot shot off Burns, to reclaim a brief 2-1 lead. That prompted Texas Tech to bring in reliever Logan Bevis, who recorded the final out of the inning and pitched a scoreless ninth for the save.

West Virginia threatened in the ninth, putting a runner on third with one out, but Bevis closed the door to secure the win. Kelly led the Mountaineers with two hits, including the homer, while Sean Smith added two hits. For Texas Tech, Rusinek and Lopez each had two hits and an RBI, part of a 12-hit attack.

With the loss, West Virginia’s record moves to 23-8 overall and 6-5 in Big 12 play. Texas Tech improves to 20-14 and 7-7 in the conference. The result defied pregame projections from Interstat, whose game simulator had forecast a 7-6 West Virginia victory and gave the Mountaineers a 59.1% probability to win.

The teams conclude the three-game series Sunday afternoon in Lubbock. West Virginia will continue its road trip with a midweek game in Hagerstown, Maryland, against Penn State, while Texas Tech will host Abilene Christian on Tuesday.