The Baylor Bears couldn’t muster two victories in one day as TCU (49-11) ousted Baylor (36-24) from the Fort Worth Regional 9-0 and advanced to the Austin Super Regional.
The Frogs will play a best-of-three series Super Regional rematch against the Texas Longhorns this weekend for a birth to the College World Series.
Frogs’ starting pitcher Steven Maxwell (11-1), who reps the Mountain West Pitcher of the Year honors, dueled with Bears’ starting pitcher Craig Fritsch (2-4) into the fourth inning Sunday night.
Maxwell allowed three-hits in an eight inning performance while the TCU offense proved equally as formidable driving in nine runs (six in the final three innings of the game).
The Lupton Stadium atmosphere had far less to be energized about compared to the raucous Saturday night crowd until Bears’ center fielder Brooks Pinckard roped a ball of the right field wall for a triple, giving Baylor it’s first real scoring threat with no outs.
Maxwell walked third baseman Joey Hainsfurther to put Bears’ runners on the corners with no outs. Maxwell struck out right fielder Cal Towey, and the Frogs’ defense responded with a double play off of Bears’ second baseman Raynor Campbell’s grounder to second.
The Lupton Stadium crowd of 3,148 made sure to give the Frogs’ home field advantage for the rest of the game.
Where Maxwell bent, Fritsch broke, walking Frogs’ second baseman Jerome Pena. Right fielder Brance Rivera doubled to put Frogs’ runners on second and third, and shortstop Tayor Featherston knocked a two RBI triple that put the Frogs up 2-0.
Catcher Bryan Holaday continued TCU’s surge with a sacrifice fly bringing Featherston home to pad the Frogs’ lead to 3-0 in the fifth inning.
The Frogs’ defense continued to come through for Maxwell in the sixth inning, turning another double play off of Bears’ left fielder Logan Vick. Maxwell responded by striking out Pinckard looking to end the inning.
Frogs’ left fielder Jason Coats ripped a RBI triple to right field in the seventh inning to bring TCU’s lead to 4-0; the Lupton crowd felt Coats’ shot cleared the right field fence before bouncing back into the outfield.
Frogs’ center fielder Aaron Schultz drove in another sacrifice RBI in the eighth inning, bringing the score to 5-0.
Featherston hit a double to left field and Holaday advanced him to third base on a ground out in the ninth inning. Featherston was thrown out at home in a tough collision that kept Featherston on the ground after the collision.
Designated hitter Kyle VonTungeln, who replaced Weike as the DH, hit an RBI single to put TCU up 6-0 in the ninth inning. Third baseman Jantzen Witte added another run for the Frogs’; Schultz launched an RBI double to continue TCU’s two-out malaise to bring the score to 9-0.
