TCU Avoids Sweep With 16-7 Win in Series Finale

Despite getting the better of TCU in this weekend series, the Anteaters felt the wrath of an angry Horned Frog team on Sunday afternoon.

The Frogs managed to score in the top of the first inning to take their first lead of the series when Wade worked a lead off walk and was eventually brought home by Watson on a two-out single. Whatever troubles befell Howard and Lodolo in the first inning of the first two games this weekend, Janczak wasn’t immune to the first inning woes. He faced nine batters before he recorded his first three outs, walking four batters, hitting one, and falling victim to an error by Skoug on the throw to second during a steal attempt by UCI.

UC Irvine again had a lead after that opening inning with a score of 2-1, but that was about the end to the similarities between this game and first two of the series. TCU reclaimed the lead at 3-2 with two runs in the third, and went on to blow the game wide open in the middle innings, scoring six more in the fourth and five in the fifth to put TCU up 14-2. Janczak meanwhile settled into an excellent outing, allowing just two hits while striking out four over the next five innings before he left the mound at the end of the sixth.

Merrill started the five run barrage in the fourth with a one-out single, which was followed up by singles from Wanhanen and Brown, doubles from Wade and Watson, and walks from Skoug and Baker. With the lineup turned over to start the fifth, Merrill worked a lead off walk followed by singles from Wade, Bake and Brown with walks from Warner, Skoug and Watson. For good measure TCU added another pair of runs in the eighth to push their run total to 16.

Ryan Burnett came on in relief of Janczak in the seventh and allowed four runs on two hits before giving way to Sean Wymer in the eighth. Wymer allowed one run on one hit in his one inning of work and Austin Boyles went three-up-three-down in the ninth.

In the 16-7 win, TCU had 17 total hits with two errors. It was an excellent offensive day for a team that struggled at the plate all weekend. Among other standouts, Josh Watson went 2 for 3 with four RBIs, Austin Wade was 3 for 4 with three RBIs and Nolan Brown was 3 for 5 with four RBIs.

TCU will have the day off in Southern California on Monday before facing Long Beach State on Tuesday at 8:00pm CT. The Long Beach State game will not be televised, but audio will be available on KTCU 88.7 FM and through Frog Vision.