OMAHA, Neb. — TCU starting pitcher Kyle Winkler (12-3) didn’t record a single out before being pulled in the first inning as TCU fell a game short of reaching the College World Series Championship Series with a 10-3 loss to UCLA.
Bruins’ starting pitcher Trevor Bauer (12-3) struck out 13 batters and gave up four hits and two earned runs through eight innings. 84 of Bauer’s 135 pitches were for strikes.
Winkler gave up two runs and three hits on nine pitches before head TCU baseball coach Jim Schlossnagle elected to pull him for reliever Paul Gerrish. Six TCU pitchers saw action in the elimination game.
TCU All-American catcher Bryan Holaday knocked out two solo home runs in his final game as a Horned Frog, becoming the 11th player in CWS history to hit four home runs in the same CWS tournament.
With the win UCLA advanced to the best-of-three CWS Final against the Clemson-South Carolina Bracket 2 Final winner. The CWS Championship Series will begin Monday at 6:30 p.m. on ESPN. None of the remaining teams have one a CWS Championship.