TCU recorded its first Big 12 win Friday night against Kansas, but the Horned Frogs saw their first Big 12 loss in the second game against Kansas on Saturday.
The 8-4 loss broke TCU baseball’s four game winning streak.
TCU junior left-hander Trevor Seidenberger only pitched one full inning. He allowed one hit in the first inning before giving up four more hits and two runs in the second. Righty Nick Frey came in to finish out the second with three straight outs. Frey, also a junior, allowed one run on a sacrifice fly.
In the bottom of the second, the Frogs were able to score, but they could only bring around one runner on two hits. The run came when an RBI single by second baseman Derek Odell, a sophomore, brought in junior left fielder Paul Hendrix.
The Jayhawks were able to extend their lead in the third inning. With three singles and two errors, including one at home plate, Kansas went ahead by five runs.
Frey and freshman right-hander Riley Ferrell kept the Kansas bats quiet until the ninth inning. The two pitchers did not allow a run on only one hit in five innings.
During the fourth inning, TCU cut Kansas’ lead back down to two. A lead-off walk by senior third baseman Jantzen Witte set up the Frogs’ offensive inning. Three doubles brought around the three runs of the inning for TCU.
Sophomore first baseman Kevin Cron’s double in the fourth stretched his hitting streak to six games. The second double of the inning by sophomore short stop Keaton Jones was his first extra base hit of the season. The final double of the inning from Hendrix made for his first multi-hit game of the season. The RBI from Hendrix was his first for the season.
TCU looked to tie the game in the sixth, but the Kansas defense robbed the Frogs of the opportunity. With two Frog runners on and one out, Kansas catcher Ka’iana Eldredge threw the runner out at third base and sophomore lefty Wes Benjamin struck out the final batter.
After Benjamin’s six innings, the Kansas bullpen came in and sat down all nine Frogs they faced.
The Kansas offense helped seal the game with two more runs in the top of the ninth.
Seidenberger (1-1) allowed three runs on five hits in one-plus innings. Frey came in for 5 2-3 innings, allowing three runs (two earned) on four hits. He also struck out five Jayhawks. Ferrell, freshman left-hander Alex Young and sophomore right-hander Justin Scharf combined for the final 2 1-3 innings. Ferrell gave up two runs on one hit and a walk. He struck out three.
TCU is now 8-10 overall and 1-1 in Big 12 play. Kansas moves to 12-6 overall in the season and 1-1 in Big 12. The series tie-break is set for Sunday afternoon with first pitch scheduled for 1 p.m.