The TCU Horned Frogs won 12-3 over the Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks at home on Feb. 26, marking their seventh win of the season.
The Frogs scored four runs in the bottom of the first inning and never looked back, capitalizing on several SFA miscues and working through their entire batting order.
SFA started slow, walking lead-off man Porter Brown and first baseman Austin Henry to bring up Gene Wood, who was hit by a pitch to load the bases.
Brown opened up the scoring on the night, stealing home base from third. Then, catcher Kurtis Byrne drove in Henry on a base hit — the first of his career — and Wood on an SFA error.
“I was just excited for him to get that one out of the way,” head coach Jim Schlossnagle said on Byrne’s first hit. “He’s a really good player.”
At one point during the second inning, TCU was ahead 4-0 while having only recorded two hits. TCU’s offense kept up the pace, adding on three more runs in the third inning.
TCU gained five more runs through the last four innings to stretch the lead even further.
TCU’s starting pitcher Riley Cornelio only allowed one hit but walked three batters in a 2.2 inning outing. Cornelio was removed after a string of walks and a hit-by-pitch.
Austin Krob lead the Frogs’ pitching staff with three strikeouts on the night.
“He wasn’t throwing the breaking ball for strikes,” Schlossnagle said about Cornelio. “He just got out of his element.”
Schlossnagle was pleased with TCU’s offensive effort that produced 12 runs on the night.
“We’ve been swinging the bat really well,” he said, “much better than we anticipated going into the season.”
Byrne’s first hit came in limited action as starting catcher Zach Humphries was subbed in for one at-bat late in the game.
“Kurtis is going to catch at least once a week for sure,” Schlossnagle said. “Humphries is our catcher, but Kurtis is a huge part of our team and a big part of our future, so we’ve gotta make sure we give him a lot of playing time.”
TCU returns to action Friday night for the first of a three-game home series with California. First pitch Friday is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.
