The Horned Frogs concluded the home portion of their schedule in style as they defeated the West Virginia Mountaineers at Lupton Stadium over the weekend.
West Virginia snaps TCU’s win streak, win 4-3
The Mountaineers silenced a late TCU rally to defeat the Horned Frogs Friday night at Lupton Stadium, 4-3.
Sophomore pitcher Nick Lodolo got the start on the mound and allowed one earned run on seven hits in 4.1 innings. He walked one batter and struck out seven.
West Virginia built a 3-0 lead by scoring single runs in the first, fourth and sixth innings while taking advantage of many TCU errors. In the first inning, back-to-back singles followed by a TCU error lead to the first run of the game.
A lead-off error in the fourth turned into a 2-0 lead for West Virginia as the runner scored on a double from Ivan Gonzalez.
Two errors in the sixth helped the Mountaineers get a third run as Gonzalez scored on a two-out infield single.
TCU’s offense came to life in the sixth inning as they tied the game at three. The Horned Frogs loaded the bases with back-to-back walks to A.J. Balta and Michael Landestoy and a single by Johnny Rizer. Zach Humphreys and Connor Wanhanen each singled home a run to make it a one-run game and Adam Oviedo beat out a potential double-play ball to tie the game at three.
Sophomore reliever Cal Coughlin came in to relieve first-year pitcher Caleb Sloan in the seventh inning and was able to get himself out of a jam by stranding runners on first and third base. In the eighth inning, West Virginia’s Darius Hill bounced a ball into the outfield to give the Mountaineers their final run of the game.
TCU responds to Friday’s loss, win 10-4
The Horned Frogs scored early and often in Saturday’s victory over West Virginia to even the series at one game apiece.
Sophomore Jake Eissler started Saturday and allowed four runs on seven hits in 5.2 innings. He walked one batter and fanned five. Fellow sophomore Charles King pitched the final 3.1 innings to earn his first save of the season, allowing one hit and striking out two.
TCU started out with a bang as Coby Boulware used his legs to earn the first run of the game. He singled and stole two bases before scoring on a Landestoy groundout. In the second inning, Josh Watson recorded a two-out, bases-loaded single to plate two more runs. Two more runs scored in the third inning, beginning with a double from Landestoy who scored on a groundout from Wanhanen.
After Humphreys and Oviedo walked, Conner Shepherd delivered a two-out single to extend TCU’s lead to 5-0.
The Mountaineers got back in to the game in during a two-out rally in the fourth as Ivan Gonzalez’s three-run home run made it a 5-3 ballgame, but TCU responded with two more runs in the bottom of the frame. A walk to Watson started the inning and he eventually scored on a Landestoy base hit. With the bases loaded, Humphreys bounced into a double play to make it a 7-3 ballgame.
The teams traded runs in the sixth. West Virginia scored on a solo home run from Kyle Gray, but a two-out base hit from Wanhanen drove in Johnny Rizer to restore the four-run lead, 8-4.
Shepherd led off the seventh with a home run to right. The final run was scored after Humphreys was plucked in a bases-loaded situation, giving all baserunners a free pass.
Horned Frogs take series on senior day
In their final home game of the 2018 regular season, TCU took an 8-5 win to earn the series victory. Seniors Balta, Wanhanen and Landestoy each tallied RBIs on senior day.
The Mountaineers opened the scoring in the second inning as Gonzalez hit a sacrifice fly to plate a runner.
TCU responded in the bottom of the inning by taking advantage of a lead-off double from Landestoy as Humphreys tied the game with an RBI-groundout. West Virginia regained their lead in the third inning with a lead-off homer by Jimmy Galuski.
The Horned Frogs earned three, two-out runs in the third to open up their lead to 4-2. After Shepherd was walked, a Boulware base hit moved him to third base. An error on a stolen base attempt by Boulware scored Shepherd to tie the game. Balta followed with a two-run rocket over the right-field fence.
The Mountaineers pulled within one after Tyler Doanes scored on an inside-the-park home run in the fourth inning. The Frogs responded with an additional two runs in the fifth. The Frogs worked five walks in the inning to score two runs as Humphreys and Wahnanen drove in the runs.
Doanes doubled in two more runs in the sixth but reliever Sean Wymer stranded the tying run at third with his fourth strikeout of the game.
Wymer finished the game with six strikeouts in five innings of work.
Colton Parrish doubled to open the seventh and scored on a Rizer sacrifice fly and Landestoy worked a bases-loaded walk in the eighth to account for the final score.
Coughlin pitched a perfect ninth to secure his third save of the season.
With the series victory, the Horned Frogs move to 29-19 overall and 10-10 in the Big 12. The Frogs will hit the road for their final four games of the season, beginning with a Tuesday night contest at Stephen F. Austin. First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m.
