FT. WORTH – Senior shortstop
Robert Salazar hit his second home run of the spring and newcomer
Kenny Otero scored two runs and delivered an RBI single during the Wildcats' 12-4 loss to 18th-ranked TCU Wednesday night at Lupton Stadium.
ACU is now 1-3 on the young season, while the Horned Frogs improved to 3-1 heading into this weekend's home series vs. Grand Canyon.
Salazar's home run to left field in the second inning gave the Wildcats a brief 1-0 lead as TCU countered with five unearned runs with two outs in its half of the frame. An error by Salazar allowed the game-tying run to score and the Horned Frogs subsequently took the lead for good when Josh Watson drove in a pair of runs with his single to center field. TCU then made it a 5-1 game on a two-run base hit by Austin Henry.
Two innings later, the Wildcats cut into that deficit with two runs in the fourth. Otero doubled home Salazar for the first run, and
Dalton Dunn's follow-up infield single led to the third-baseman's throwing error and Otero scoring to make it a 5-3 game.
Unfortunately, ACU could get no closer as TCU scored seven unanswered runs between the fourth and seventh innings. The biggest hits included Alex Isola's three-run home run in the sixth inning and Hunter Wolfe's two-run double in the seventh inning that made it a 12-3 ball game.
Otero scored the Wildcats' final run in the eighth inning. He reached second base on a throwing error, advanced to third on a wild pitch, and scored on a passed ball.
The two sides combined for five errors, which led to 12 unearned runs. There also were 18 walks, 11 pitching changes, four hit batsmen, and three passed balls in a game that fell just seven minutes short of four hours.
TCU's first reliever Spencer Arrighetti earned the win behind 1.1 scoreless innings with two strikeouts between the fourth and fifth innings, while the loss went to senior
Brock Barger, who was charged with five unearned runs in 1.2 innings pitched. He was followed to the mound by
Hunter Spaeth (2.1 IP), Otero (1.2 IP),
Zach Smith (0.2 IP),
Mark Geisel (0.2 IP) and
Logan Patterson, who struck out two batters in his lone inning of work.
The Wildcats return to action Friday for the start of a three-game series vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff, which lost 10-2 this evening at UT Arlington.
