Frogs Fall in Extras: TAMU Wins 2-1

Well, that went a lot different from yesterday's game.  On Saturday, the Frogs knocked the ball all over the yard, and it seemed like everything that they tried worked out for them. Today, the TCU offense was held in check for seven 2/3 innings by TAMU's lefty Matt Kent, who allowed six hits, two walks and no runs, while striking out 6 on 108 pitches.  Morrison had an equally impressive day allowing eight hits, three walks and one run, while striking out 6 on 105 pitches in 9 1/3 innings.  It really hurts to see Morrison pitch so well today and not be able to get a W on his postseason resume.  Despite many excellent outings like this one, that is a feat that Morrison, in his illustrious career as a Frog, has never been able to accomplish.

TCU got off to a great start in the top of the first, as Cody Jones reached first on a lead off single.  TAMU having a lefty on the mound today helped them in a lot of ways, but more importantly might have been their ability to find some success against the aggressive base-running of TCU. The next batter, Fagnan, was struck out swinging and Cody Jones was thrown out trying to steal second to give the Aggies a double-play, which foiled TCU's attempt at starting off the game with the lead.  Both teams had base-runners in the first inning, but none were able to score.

Over the next couple of innings, Morrison and TAMU's Matt Kent dueled, and they finished the third inning with 31 and 34 pitches thrown respectively.  Lefty pitchers have given our lineup fits all year, and that did not change today as the umpire was calling a pretty wide strike zone on the outside of the plate. Both teams continued to struggle offensively through the next couple of innings, and the first run we saw was when TAMU doubled to start the 6th.  Even after PMo induced a ground out, on which the TAMU runner reached 3rd base, and a TAMU runner was caught in a pickle trying to get home on a chopper to SS Keaton Jones, TCU was unable to end the threat unscathed. The next batter doubled to left field, and TAMU took a 1-0 lead before a groundout to Crain ended the inning.

That one run would prove to be the difference in today's game. TCU went three up, three down in the 7th, and TAMU managed only a walk around two fly outs before the runner on first was picked off by Morrison to end the inning. In the 8th, Odell struck out looking and Garrett Crain doubled to right field on a 2-1 count to give TCU their first shot to tie it up.  Crain moved to third on a fielder's choice after Cody Jones grounded out to short stop, but Fagnan grounded out to end the inning with the tying run only 90 feet away.

Back-to-back singles by Wanhanen and Skoug to start the 9th gave TCU another great opportunity to even the score, and this time they came through when they needed it.  Pinch hitter Evan Williams (in for Steinhagen) bunted the runners over and put two Frogs in scoring position with one out. The Aggies walked Brown to load the bases and Keaton "Magic" Jones came through in the clutch with an RBI sac fly to center field which put the Frogs on the board 1-1. Odell had a chance for one more, but after working the count full in a good at bat he flied out to center to end the rally.

PMo allowed one hit in the bottom of the 9th but faced only four batters and sent the game to extra innings still tied 1-1.  TCU went three up, three down in the top of the 10th and TAMU got another chance to put the game away. Morrison struck out the first batter he faced in the 10th before walking the next batter and allowing a single to put runners on the corners with one out.  Ferrell came on for Morrison to try to push the game to the 11th. His first pitch was a 98 mph fastball low for a ball. The second pitch was an 88 mph breaking ball on the outside for a strike. On the third pitch, TAMU batter Blake Allemand (.343 / .433 / .513) connected on another 98 mph fastball low in the zone for a sac fly to deep left which secured the 2-1, 10-inning, walk-off victory for TAMU.

The Aggies fought hard today and played error-free baseball behind a gem by Matt Kent.  While it would have been nice to send them back to college station today, you have to like TCU's chances in tomorrow's winner-take-all Game 3 of the Fort Worth Super Regional.  By all accounts, Alex Young will be on the mound for TCU tomorrow. TAMU will be throwing another lefty -- Tyler Stubblefield, who has a 5.14 ERA and has allowed nine hits and six runs while recording five strike outs and one walk in seven total innings pitched.  TAMU got Stubblefield back from injury recently, and he has one start and two bullpen appearances since he returned.  Although Ferrell fell short in another attempt at redemption today, his velocity was really good and he found the strike zone on two of the three pitches he threw today.  He will be available tomorrow for the save if needed.