With mother nature and the Baylor Bears working against them, the No. 8 Frogs pulled out with a win in a 7-6 decision Tuesday night at Lupton Stadium. This was TCU’s first season sweep of Baylor since 2008.
Stefan Crichton came away with the win while Max Garner picked up the loss for Baylor in the four hour and thirty-eight minute game.
The game started quietly enough with starting pitcher Nick Frey going three up three down on the Bears in the first but it was not long before the weather and the Bears rolled in on the Frogs. A 22 minute delay came in the top of the second, followed by two runs from Baylor.
The Frogs quickly struck back in the third and the Frogs led the game 3-2 going into the fourth. They pushed their lead in the fourth after short stop Taylor Featherston tripled into deep left. This was Featherston’s thirteenth career triple, tying him for third all-time with Mika Losa.
With a 5-2 lead, Coats was looking to add two runs to the tally when Baylor’s center fielder Logan Vick robbed him of a home run. Putting the brakes on the game’s momentum, the weather rolled in again for a 91 minute delay due to lightning and a downpour of rain.
The Frogs came back at the top of the fifth with Trent Appleby on the mound. Appleby started off shaky, allowing Baylor’s Max Muncey to advance to second after a wild throw to first in an attempt to get Muncey out. Muncey then tacked on a run for the Bears after a double from DH Josh Ludy.
The score stayed 5-3 until the seventh when the Bears came alive with a home run from Muncey putting the game at 5-5. TCU’s Zac Jordan attempted to drive some runs in but third baseman Jake Miller snatched Jordan’s line drive to left in a quick defensive play. Stefan Crichton relieved Appleby after some wild pitches in the eighth and the Frogs held the Bears to a 5-5 game.
Max Garner came in for the Bears at the bottom of the eighth. In an effort not to replay Sunday’s extra-inning game against Oklahoma State, Featherston took advantage of a sluggish Baylor defense to get on base. A sac bunt from Pena and a triple from Von Tungeln allowed Featherston to score. After another sac bunt from Rivera, Von Tungeln’s run gave the Frogs a 7-5 lead going into the ninth.
The Bears threatened to overtake that lead with a run from Towey coming early in the ninth making it a 7-6 game. Crichton then struggled to close out the game but eventually the Frogs closed after a double play and a strikeout from Crichton.
Tuesday’s decision allowed TCU to finish the 2011 regular season with a 10-4 record against the Big 12.
TCU baseball will be back in action this weekend hosting Utah for a three-game series starting Friday night. TCU will need two of three to take its sixth straight regular season crown.