TCU defeated West Virginia 5-2 in their first game of the Big 12 Tournament at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, on Tuesday.
Just this past weekend, the Mountaineers took two out of three games in Fort Worth from TCU, in their final series of the regular season. West Virginia was out-hit nine-to-three and left four on base.
Carson Estridge got the start for WVU and pitched 3.2 innings, allowing two earned runs on four hits and one walk, while recording three strikeouts. For TCU it was redshirt sophomore Caedmon Parker toeing the rubber, he tossed five innings allowing two earned runs on four walks and two hits, striking out seven. Sophomore Braeden Sloan closed out the game for the Horned Frogs, shutting down the West Virginia bats, pitching the final four innings allowing just one hit and striking out six batters.
TCU would strike first in the top of the third, jumping out to a 1-0 lead. Brody Green sent a ball into the gap in right-center, getting past a diving Skylar King, hitting a triple and later scoring on a ground out by Chase Brunson.
The Horned Frogs added on, an inning later in the top of the fourth. Estridge worked himself into a bases-loaded jam and walked in a run before the ball was taken from him on the mound. Maxx Yehl came into the game and got the Mountaineers out of the inning with minimal damage occurring, as they trailed 2-0 heading into the bottom of the fourth.
TCU continued to get runners on base and loaded the bases once again in the top of the fifth with no outs. A run would come in to score on a double-play ball and Yehl would eventually get out of the inning with the Horned Frogs lead up to three.
In the bottom of the fifth, with a runner on and two outs, Logan Sauve sent a ball into the seats, getting West Virginia on the board. The Mountaineers trailed by a run after TCU failed to turn a double-play twice previously in the frame.
TCU scored once again in the fourth-straight inning, in the top of the sixth. With two outs, Brunson singled up the middle allowing a runner to score from second, heading into the bottom of the sixth they pulled in front further, 4-2.
Green hit a solo shot in the top of the ninth to give the Horned Frogs a little more insurance, making the game 5-2 as they looked to close out the game with a win. WVU was unable to put together any offense in the bottom of ninth and ultimately lost Tuesday.
With the tournament being double-elimination, West Virginia will face Kansas State, the loser of today’s first game, on Wednesday at 10 a.m. EST with the game being televised on ESPNU.
