The TCU Horned Frogs dismantled the Houston Cougars 7-1.
The team had 10 hits with designated hitter Sawyer Strosnider, first baseman Cole Cramer and right fielder Noah Franco all tied for the team lead with two apiece. Franco and Cramer also finished with three RBIs each.
Tommy LaPour dominated the Houston Cougars. LaPour went 6.1 innings while allowing no runs on two hits with six strikeouts and one walk.
LaPour credited his offense for a reason why he was able to pitch so well. “The offense has been unbelievable, they gave me a run in the first and that just takes away the pressure.”
TCU struck quickly in the bottom of the first as Strosnider tripled into the right field corner. He would score on an infield single by Cramer.
TCU would put up four runs in the second inning. Left fielder Isaac Cadena would start off the inning with a single and advance to second on a throwing error by the third baseman. Third baseman Jack Bell would follow that up with a walk, and second baseman Colton Griffin would get hit by a pitch.
That is when things would get wild. As Griffin was walking to first base, he said something to the catcher that the home plate umpire didn’t like. This led to Griffin being ejected from the game. Brody Green would replace him and take over first base, and Cramer would slide over to second base.
This wouldn’t stop TCU, as Cramer sent a chopper to third. The runner from third base scored and Cramer was able to beat the throw to first base that skipped away from the first baseman. Bell, seeing the opportunity, dashed home and the catcher could not make the catch. This pushed TCU’s lead to three.
That would end the night for left-hander Chris Scinta, who only lasted one inning. He allowed three runs on three hits, three walks, and one strikeout while allowing three runs on three hits.
Franco would add a pair of runs with a single up the middle to score Cramer and Green. TCU took a 5-0 lead. He would be back at it in the fifth inning as he launched a solo home run into the right field seats to put TCU up by six.
TCU’s lead would increase in the seventh inning due to a single from catcher Nolan Traeger that scored center fielder Chase Brunson.
Right-hander Louis Rodriguez would come in for LaPour and go 0.2 scoreless innings with no hits, no walks, and one strikeout.
Right-handed pitcher Cohen Feser would follow in the eighth inning and deliver with no hits, no walks, and one strikeout.
Trevor Baumler, a right-handed pitcher, came in to finish the game. He did allow one run on two hits with no walks and one strikeout.
TCU Baseball manager Kirk Saarloos discussed their mentality going into this game. “We’re showing up, playing good baseball. If you get wrapped up in the math stuff, you’re thinking about the wrong thing, ” he said. “We showed up today and tried to go 1-0, and that’s the same thing we’re going to try to do tomorrow.”
TCU will face the Kansas Jayhawks on May 23 at 7:30 pm at Globe Life Field.
