ABILENE – Four players tallied two hits each, and despite ACU out-hitting its opponent 11-9, the Wildcat baseball team fell to No. 25 TCU on Tuesday night at Crutcher Scott Field, 7-5. The 'Cats (23-9) led 1-0 after an inning, but six runs over the next three innings to go down 6-1. ACU clawed back with two in the fifth and two in the sixth, but ultimately fell in the end by a pair of runs. TCU sweeps the season series and moves to 6-0 all-time in Abilene against the Wildcats.
How It Happened
- Junior
Blake Anderson got the ball and tossed a scoreless first to get things started. His offense gave him a lead when
Logan Britt tripled off the wall in left field to score
Miller Ladusau. It was the lone lead for the 'Cats on Tuesday.
- TCU responded with a run-scoring groundout in the second and took the lead on a wild play in the third. With runners on second and third with one out, Cole Fontenelle flew one deep to center, forcing Britt all the way back to the wall. The center fielder timed his jump perfectly to rob a home run, and then got the ball back into the infield quickly. ACU played it perfectly and threw back to second base, where Tre Richardson was caught leaving the bag too early. The double play ended the inning, but the run did come in to score to put the Horned Frogs up 2-1.
- TCU scored four more runs in the top of the fourth inning, with three of them coming on bases-loaded walks. The Frogs led 6-1 and looked like they would pull away. The Wildcats would put a valient comeback effort together, however.
- ACU got back in it in the home fifth when
Bash Randle led the inning off with a single into left center.
Crew Parke then drove the very next pitch to the left-field corner for a double to make it a 6-2 deficit. Ladusau would eventually bring home Parke with a run-scoring single and it was a three-run lead for TCU.
- Parke and
Holden Rook then came up with run-scoring singles in the bottom of the sixth inning, and ACU was right back in it, down 6-5.
- TCU added a huge insurance run in the top of the eighth inning with a Luke Boyers solo home run. That would put an end to the night.
Stat Pack
- Ladusau, Tweedt, Parke, and Rook all had two hits as part of an 11-hit night. ACU out-hit TCU 11-9.
- Parke led ACU with two runs driven in, leading a pack of four 'Cats with RBI on the night.
- Anderson went 3.0 innings in the start, dropping to 4-2 on the season, allowing two runs on three hits with three strikeouts.
-
Drake Boggan and
Luke Krkovski each went 0.1 inning out of the bullpen, with Boggan allowing four earned runs. Both pitchers walked three batters.
-
Sam Berberich tossed 2.2 scoreless innings on two hits, while
Zach Smith went 1.2 innings allowing one run on one hit.
-
Brooks Gay threw a scoreless top of the ninth inning, facing just three batters.
Beyond the Box Score
- Gay made his first appearance since the opening weekend of the season against Nevada.
- ACU is now 17-3 on the season when it outhits its opponent.
- ACU has only made 17 total errors on the season, but six have come in the two games combined against TCU.
On Deck
- ACU will host Grand Canyon for a three-game set at The Crutch this weekend. Friday night's game gets underway at 6:05 p.m., while Saturday's middle game is at 3:05 p.m., and Sunday's finale is at 1:05 p.m. All three games will air on ESPN+.
#ATO | #GoWildcats
