After an early 4-0 lead, TCU baseball couldn’t close out the game as they surrendered six consecutive runs to fall to University of Texas at Arlington 6-4 Tuesday.
The loss brings TCU’s record to 10-2 and marks their first loss at Lupton Stadium this season. The loss also snaps their five-game win streak.
Gene Wood brought in the first run of the game with a single to right field to bring home Sam Thompson.
In the 2nd inning, UTA’s starting pitcher Cade Winquest was pulled after he loaded the bases and walked home a run.
Tommy Sacco and Phillip Sikes had a pair of base hits to right field (to former Horned Frog Andrew Keefer), which were followed by a walk to Thompson that loaded the bases. Winquest then walked Gray Rodgers to bring in their second run.
Rodgers has now reached base successfully in all 11 games.
Wood came up to bat after a pop up by Zach Humphreys. Wood singled to center field bringing home both Thompson and Sikes.
Tuesday’s game was Wood’s third multi-RBI game this season.
The Mavericks started their comeback bid in the third inning with a two-out double by Andrew Miller, scoring Zac Cook.
UTA threatened again at the top of the fourth with a triple by Keefer, but the Mavericks were not able to capitalize off of it.
Miller, UTA’s leadoff batter in the eighth inning, hit a homer over the left field wall to narrow the Frogs’ lead to two runs. Anthony Dominguez then reached on a fielding error by Thompson. He would then score on a pair of Maverick singles.
Phillip Childs went on to score on a sacrifice fly to center field, tying the score at four.
In the 12th inning, Josh Minjarez singled to left field. The hit was followed by a wild pitch, a walk and a two-out double to center field by Connor Aube, allowing two Mavericks to score two runs and break the tie.
Despite loading the bases several times, the Frogs failed to ever convert the runners in scoring position into runs.
“I thought our guys competed well. There was a lot of good things that happened tonight,” head coach Jim Schlossnagle said. “They [UTA] just happened to get the timely hit with two outs and we didn’t.”
During the course of 12 innings, the Frogs brought seven pitchers to the mound, none of which lasted more than 2.2 innings. Collectively, the pitching staff gave up 13 hits and six runs while totaling 10 strikeouts.
Riley Cornelio started for the Frogs and allowed a run and a hit in 2.2 innings. Drew Hill threw 2.1 shutout innings and Haylen Green pitched two scoreless innings. Austin Krob fanned three during his outing.
Pitcher Matt Rudis, the final pitcher on the night for the Frogs, earned the loss.
UTA brought five pitchers to the mound, giving up nine hits and four runs (all in the first two innings) and dishing out eight strikeouts.
“That is actually as good of pitching staff that we have seen the whole season throwing strikes,” Schlossnagle said. “That was really good preparation for us for the weekend.”
TCU will head into a tough road test this weekend. The Frogs are set to take on USC, No. 6 UCLA, No. 2 Vanderbilt, and San Diego State.
“Every game has value. UTA is now 9-3, and they have won some really good games,” Schlossnagle said. “It stinks to lose the game but I think our team will be better having played tonight.”
The Horned Frogs will return home March 13 for a series against Maryland.
