Texas Tech tops TCU 8-1 in Big 12 tournament

TULSA, Okla. (AP) – Corey Taylor limited top-seeded TCU to just four hits over five innings and Eric Gutierrez homered and drove in three runs as Texas Tech routed the defending champions 8-1 Thursday at the Big 12 tournament.

Taylor (4-0) made his first start of the season and lowered his best-in-the nation ERA to 0.31 against TCU (43-11). The right-hander has allowed just two earned runs in 57 1/3 innings this season.

Scoring in each of the first four innings, the fourth-seeded Red Raiders (31-23) cruised to an 8-0 lead. Texas Tech scored seven runs off TCU starting pitcher Preston Morrison (11-2), the 2014 Big 12 Pitcher of the Year.

Morrison was tagged for seven hits in 3 1/3 innings. He allowed solo homers to Gutierrez and Michael Davis, who had three hits.