TCU Baseball Takes Opener Over Texas
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FORT WORTH – Preston Morrison tossed eight shutout innings and TCU used a three-run seventh to cruise to a 5-1 win over Texas Thursday night. The win extended the Horned Frogs winning streak to four games.
Morrison was masterful in facing just one batter over the minimum in his eight innings of work. The two hits he allowed didn’t leave the infield as Mark Payton reached on a bunt single in the first and a ground ball to second in the seventh inning.
After the one-out bunt single, Morrison retired the next 17 batters he faced before allowing Payton’s lead-off single in the seventh. The next batter bounced into a 4-6-3 double play to erase the runner. Morrison finished the night with four strikeouts and no walks.
Offensively the Frogs started the scoring early and never looked back en route to building a 5-0 lead.
TCU jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first inning after a lead-off single from Cody Jones. The sophomore stole second with one out tagged up on a fly ball off the bat of Jantzen Witte. He was standing on third with two outs for Paul Hendrix, who blooped a
single into center field to drive in the run.
The lead grew to two in the fifth inning as the Frogs took advantage of the Longhorns failure to turn a double play. Back to-back walks to Brett Johnson and Cody Jones with one out gave the Frogs a pair of base runners. Boomer White hit a chopper to third that looked like it would be an inning-ending double play, but the relay throw was never made, putting runners on the corners with two out. Witte came through with a two-out single through the left side to make it a 2-0 game.
Eight men came to the plate in the seventh innings as the Horned Frogs put a three spot on the board to take a commanding lead. Johnson led off the inning with a base hit and moved to second on a Cody Jones sacrifice. White started a string of three straight doubles to help the lead grow. He doubled home Johnson and scored on a Witte double. A Hendrix double capped the inning scoring.
Texas broke up the shutout bid in the ninth as it took advantage of a one-out walk to Collin Shaw. Brooks Marlow hit a double to deep center field to make it a 5-1 ballgame. Justin Scharf came on the mound with two on and two out. He struck out CJ Hinojosa to end the game, picking up his first save of the season.
The victory improves TCU to 27-25 overall and 11-11 in conference play. Game two of the series is set for Friday night at 6:30. The game will be televised live nationally on Fox Sports Net. Brandon Finnegan will toe the rubber for the Frogs and face the Longhorns’ Dillon Peters.
