TCU Baseball Wins At USC
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LOS ANGELES – Derek Odell homered and drove in the go-ahead run to help TCU rally for a 5-4 win over USC Thursday night at Dedeaux Field. The Horned Frogs scored twice in the eighth inning to complete the comeback.
Trailing 4-2 heading into the final three innings, the Frogs scored once in the seventh and twice in the eighth to rally for the victory.
Odell blooped a singled into right center to open the seventh inning and was standing on second after a Kyle Bacak sacrifice. Keaton Jones bounced a single up the middle to drive in Odell to pull the Frogs back within one, 4-3.
TCU completed the comeback in the top of the eighth, scoring twice on two hits and a walk. Witte worked a one-out walk and stole second with two outs. Jerrick Suiter ripped a double to left center to tie the game at four. Odell followed with an opposite field base hit to drive in Suiter for a 5-4 lead.
A lead-off hit batter in the eighth inning for USC put the tying run on base. TCU went to the bullpen to call on Justin Scharf. Two ground balls later, the runner was standing on third. Another pitching change saw Riley Ferrell take over. The freshman did his job, striking the batter out on three pitches to preserve the lead.
Preston Morrison went six innings in the no-decision, allowing four runs (two earned) on
10 hits to go along with a pair of strikeouts. Trevor Seidenberger (2-2) picked up the win in relief with a scoreless seventh inning. Ferrell walked one and struck out two in his inning of work. Alex Young struck out the final batter of the game to pick up his fourth save of the season.
A pair of errors around a base hit had the bases full of Trojans in the first inning. James Roberts put USC on top with an infield single and Greg Zebrack made it 2-0 with a one-one base hit to left. Morrison did what he does best and got a 6-4-3 double play to end the inning to keep the USC lead at two.
TCU wasted little time cutting the lead in half. Jantzen Witte led off the second with a double to right center. He scored easily on a seeing-eye single up the middle off the bat of Kevin Cron to make it a 2-1 contest.
USC pitched out of a jam in the top of third and translated the momentum into another run in the bottom of the inning. Adam Landecker led off the frame with a double and scored on a one-out base hit from Blake Lacey to restore the Trojans two-run lead, 3-1.
With one swing of the bat, Derek Odell pulled the Frogs back within one. The sophomore belted his first home run of the season over the right field fence to lead off the fifth inning, cutting the USC lead to one, 3-2.
Another lead-off double for USC turned into the Trojans fourth run of the game. Garrett Stubbs opened the fifth with a double and was standing on third after a bunt single by Landecker. Morrison got his third double play ball of the game, but on the play Stubbs scored to make it a 4-2 contest.
TCU improves to 22-23 overall. Game two of the three-game series is set for Friday night at 8 (CST). Brandon Finnegan will take the mound for the Horned Frogs.
