TCU Evens Series With 8-5 Victory Over Utah
FORT WORTH, Texas – The TCU Horned Frogs used a seven-run second inning to propel them to an 8-5 victory over Utah Saturday afternoon. The victory evens the all-important series at one game each. Jason Coats and Taylor Featherston each tallied three hits in the win.
Andrew Mitchell (4-1) had a career day on the mound Saturday after tossing a career-high 7 1/3 innings. He allowed three runs (two earned) on five hits, walked three and struck out a career-high nine. Trent Appleby pitched one full inning in two stints on the mound to pick up his first save of the season. He allowed a hit and issued one intentional walk. Tony Rizzotti surrendered two runs on three hits in 2/3 of an inning.
After a quiet first inning, the Horned Frogs exploded for seven runs on six hits in the second inning. Six of the runs were scored with two outs as the Frogs opened up a commanding lead. Featherston started the rally with a one out single. Jerome Pena followed with a base hit to right. After a wild pitch, Brett Johnson worked a walk to load the bases. Kyle Von Tungeln put the Frogs on top with a sacrifice fly to center.
From there the hit parade started as the next six Frogs reached base. Brance Rivera, Jantzen Witte and Coats all singled in runs to make it a 4-0 contest. Josh Elander smoked a three-run home run to right to make it a 7-0 game.
Utah pushed across an unearned run in the fourth inning to make it a 7-1 game. Shaun Cooper led off the inning with a base hit and moved to third on an error. Mitchell minimized the damage with a pick off, but a ground out by Cody Guymon drove in the run.
TCU got the run right back in the bottom of the frame. Elander was hit to open the inning and moved to second on a base hit by Joe Weik. Featherston bounced a single up the middle to drive in Elander to make it an 8-1 contest.
The Utes tried to rally as they inched closer with a two-run sixth inning inning. C.J. Cron singled to lead off the inning and scored on a two-run home run from Austin Shackelford, cutting the TCU lead to five, 8-3.
Utah tried to make it even more interesting in the eighth after a lead off walk to Michael Beltran. The next batter, Cron, drove the ball to deep right field. The ball cleared the fence, but it landed in the outstretched glove of a leaping Rivera, who took the two-run home run away from the Utes, keeping it an 8-3 contest. TCU went to the bullpen and called on Appleby who need just two pitches to get Shackelford to ground into the inning-ending double play.
Rizzotti came on and got two quick outs in the ninth, but three straight singles made it an 8-4 contest and the Frogs went back to Appleby, who had started the inning playing right field. Beltran singled to load the bases for Cron. The Frogs elected to intentionally walk Cron, making it an 8-5 contest. The move worked as Appleby got Cooper to ground out to end the game.
The Horned Frogs improve to 35-15 on the season and 16-3 in league play. The teams will meet in the rubber match Sunday afternoon at Lupton. Game time is set for 1 p.m. Nick Frey will get the call and face Utah’s Joe Pond.
