TCU Baseball Rallies To Defeat Oklahoma State
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OKLAHOMA CITY – Down to its final two outs, TCU rallied with six runs in the top of the ninth to defeat Oklahoma State, 8-4, Thursday night at the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championships.
Entering the ninth inning, the Horned Frogs were staring at a 4-2 deficit. Vince Wheeland got the first out of the inning, but then ran into a buzzsaw as the next six hitters reached base, turning a two-run deficit into a 5-4 lead.
Boomer White got the rally started with a one-out single. Jantzen Witte lined a single into right field and Paul Hendrix walked to load the bases, forcing the Cowboys to go to the bullpen. Derek Odell greeted the new pitcher with a blooper into center field to tie the game at four. After a wild pitch moved both runners up 90 feet, the Cowboys intentionally walked Kevin Cron to reload the bases.
Two pitches later the Horned Frogs had the lead as Keaton Jones was hit on the knee to drive in the go-ahead run. With two outs, Brett Johnson came through with a two-run single to right to give the Frogs a three-run cushion, 7-4. Cody Jones reached on an infield single to double up the Cowboys, 8-4.
Trevor Seidenberger (3-3) finished off his masterful night on the mound as he struck out the side in the bottom of the ninth to close out the TCU victory. He went 5 1/3 innings, allowing just one hit, walking one and striking out a career-high nine.
Both teams failed to capitalize on first inning chances, but Oklahoma State didn’t miss on its second chance as the Cowboys opened up a 4-0 lead. A one-out bloop double by Robbie Rea started the Cowboy rally. With two outs, a walk and infield single loaded the bases. Donnie Walton singled to
drive in two and Tanner Krietemeier followed with a two-run double.
TCU scratched across an unearned run in the top of the third to cut the OSU lead to three, 4-1. Witte singled with one out and moved to third on an errant pick-off throw. With runners on the corners, Odell hit a sacrifice fly to deep right field, driving in Witte with the Frogs first run of the game.
Oklahoma State threatened to add more as a two-out error kept the fourth inning alive. Saylor Saxon made it two second on the error and was standing on third after a balk. Following a walk to Walton, the Frogs went to the bullpen and called on Seidenberger. The left-hander did the job, striking out the only batter he faced in the frame to keep the deficit at three, 4-1.
The Frogs pushed across another run in the top of the sixth as they cut the lead down to 4-2. Kyle Bacak started things off for TCU with a one-out single. A walk to Brett Johnson put two on and with two outs, White came through with a bouncer up the middle to drive in Bacak.
Preston Morrison lasted just 3 2/3 innings in the no-decision. He surrendered four runs on five hits, walked two and struck out four.
TCU improves to 29-26 on the season. The Horned Frogs will return to the diamond Friday afternoon for a meeting with West Virginia. Game time is set for 4 p.m. at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark. The game will be televised live on Fox College Sports.
