The TCU baseball team continues its perfect streak in the month of April, defeating University Nevada, Las Vegas in the first of a three-game series.

A game winning double in the bottom of the ninth and two outs gave the Horned Frogs a 4-3 victory. The win also extends TCU’s winning streak to seven games, its longest winning streak of the season.

With the score tied three all in the bottom of the ninth (21-12, 6-4), junior Corey Steglich stole third base, leaving it up to Ben Carruthers for a chance to be the hero.

“I got a fastball right down the middle,” Carruthers said. “The inning before that coach told me to move my hands up on the barrel of the bat so I could get the bat around quicker.”

Carruthers had been 0-for-12 before the at-bat.

“I tried to make some adjustments in my swing earlier this week in practice,” he said. “Baseball is a funny game sometimes. You never know when you’re going to have an opportunity to get a big hit, but you have to be ready for it when you get your chance.”

TCU’s starting pitcher, Tyler Lockwood, went 6 2/3 innings with two strikeouts and two walks on 111 pitches. Lockwood held the UNLV Runnin’ Rebels (14-17, 5-5) scoreless through the first four innings. In the fifth inning, he gave up a long blast over the left field fence by UNLV’s Xavier Scruggs. Lockwood gave up two more runs in the seventh inning and received a no decision for the game.

“You are not going to have your best stuff everyday,” head coach Jim Schlossnagle said. “I thought UNLV had a good plan and they made some good contact on him as the game got into the later innings.”

Lockwood was pulled in the seventh inning. Lockwood left the game with a 3-2 lead and was responsible for a man on third and first base. Eric Marshall came in to relieve Lockwood but could not keep the lead for the Horned Frogs. The Rebels’ next batter was able to drive a single back up the middle, knocking in the tying run from third base. Marshall retired the next batter on a pop-up, but the damage had been done.

In the eighth inning, the Horned Frogs went into their bullpen again, this time with right-hander Andrew Cashner. Cashner came on with two outs and nobody on base. His control was off and he walked the first two batters he faced.

Now, UNLV had two runners on with one in scoring position. Cashner did not panic and got the last out on a 98-mile-per-hour fastball that froze the hitter and then set UNLV down in order in the top of the ninth. Cashner recorded the win in his 1 1/3 innings of work and improved to 6-1 on the season.

“Ben did not have his best day at the plate, but he came through in the clutch,” Cashner said. “We didn’t play our best baseball tonight, but we got the win and we’ll take it.”

The series continues Saturday at 2 p.m.