The Chanticleers beat TCU tonight by a score of 4-1 on a night where the Frogs looked unfocused early, and then couldn't get things rolling once they fell behind. Despite a late-inning home run but Steinhagen, TCU's efforts at a comeback were simply too little, too late.
The Frogs couldn't get much of anything going tonight against Coastal Carolina's ace, Andrew Beckwith. On four days rest, Beckwith carried the Chanticleers to a win, even after pitching a complete game against Florida on Sunday. Mitchell Traver pitched his best game of the season to keep the Frogs in it, but he just didn't get the support he needed from the defense or the starting lineup.
The trouble started for TCU in the top of the third when Traver hit the leadoff batter. After a single put runners on the corners, Coastal Carolina bunted for a single as Traver got to it too late to record an out. That put the Chanticleers up 1-0, and on the next at bat they hit a ball to Merrill that went off his glove and into left field to load the bases with one out. TCU got lucky to limit Coastal to one additional run on a fly out when Barzilli was able to tag out the runner at third for the inning-ending double play.
Traver kept the Chanticleers in check over the middle innings, leaving after 6 1/3, giving up four runs (three earned) on three hits with five strikeouts and two walks. It wasn't until he left the game in the seventh that Coastal was able to put the game out of reach. Traver left with TCU down just 2-0 and runners on the corners. Both of them would eventually come around to score against Preston Guillory. Still, over 2 2/3 innings, Guillory put together a great performance, letting up just that one hit.
TCU will get another shot at eliminating the Chanticleers on Saturday in a match that will send the winner to the College World Series Championship. The fact that Beckwith threw over 130 pitches tonight leaves Coastal's bullpen relatively fresh. But TCU only needed two pitchers, leaving them with plenty of available arms as well. The Chanticleers have seemingly given all they have to get past Tech and TCU the last two nights, so TCU has the advantage going into tomorrow's deciding game.