TCU Eliminates A&M
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COLLEGE STATION, Texas – The TCU Horned Frogs continued to swing hot bats and Stefan Crichton had a career day on the mound as TCU eliminated Texas A&M with a 10-2 win Sunday afternoon. Crichton tossed his first career complete game and TCU scored seven two-out runs.
Crichton improved to 9-2 as he gave the Frogs just what they needed, a complete game. He allowed just two runs on six hits with one walk and four strikeouts. The sophomore needed just 108 pitches in the game and face more than four batters in just two innings. The Frogs played flawless defense and turned a pair of double plays behind him.
TCU scored in each of the first six innings as it built a 9-2 lead. With two outs in the first, Kevin Cron singled and moved to second on an error in the outfield. Jantzen Witte made the miscue hurt as he singled to left field to give the Frogs a 1-0 lead.
Another Aggie error in the second inning gave the Frogs their second run of the game. With two outs and Rivera standing on third base, Kyle Von Tungeln lined a single up the middle to drive in Rivera.
Chase Statum started a rally for the Aggies as he reached on a one-out infield single. Scott Arthur followed with a double just over the outstretched glove of Jerrick Suiter in left to put two in scoring position with just one out. Tyler Naquin doubled to right center to drive in the tying runs. He was left stranded at second as Crichton got a strikeout and a ground out to end the inning.
TCU wasted no time regaining a lead it would never relinquish. Derek Odell worked the count to 3-1 and thought
he had drawn a walk. The umpire called him back to the plate to face a 3-2 offering from Daniel Mengdon. Odell launched the offering into the right field bullpen for a 3-2 lead.
Three more two-out runs crossed the plate in the fourth as the Frogs pushed the lead to four, 6-2. Von Tungeln worked a two-out walk, stole second and scored on a base hit up the middle by Josh Elander. Cron followed with a long two-run blast to left field for his third home run of the Regional.
Odell got things started in the fifth inning with a base hit to center. Suiter walked and both runners moved up on a sacrifice bunt from Josh Gonzales. Rivera came through with a double to center to drive in two more runs. A two-out triple by Von Tungeln made it a 9-2 contest.
Two more Aggie errors in the seventh led to the Frogs’ 10th run of the game. With the bases loaded and two outs, Elander hit a ball to the shortstop. He couldn’t make the play and Rivera scored his third run of the ballgame.
Following their two-run third inning, the Aggies never had a runner pass second base. They only sent more than three batters to the plate in one inning and that came in the fifth as they had two on with one out. From that point, Crichton faced the minimum number of batters and allowed just one hit. He sat down 13 of the last 14 batters he faced. The only one to reach was Mikey Reynolds who had a bunt single. Reynolds was erased on a line drive double play started by Witte.
TCU improves to 38-24 overall. TCU advances to the championship game to face Ole Miss at 6:35 tonight. The Frogs will have to win to see another game.
