TCU 12, Abilene Christian 4: Nine Frogs score as TCU rolls Wildcats

FORT WORTH, TX - TCU thumped Abilene Christian 12-4 in the cold on Wednesday night, as nine different Horned Frogs crossed home plate in the effort. While it was a team effort, the Frogs were powered by big games from Josh Watson, Alex Isola, and Hunter Wolfe.

The three combined for five runs scored and eight RBI, while Wolfe also stole a pair of bases. Isola had the highlight of the night, however, launching TCU’s first home run of the season to deep left center field.

Freshman phenom Porter Brown flexed his durability at the plate, getting hit by two pitches. He also worked a 9-pitch walk, stole a base, and scored two runs for the Frogs in what was technically an 0-2 night for the DH.

Haylen Green got the start for TCU on Wednesday night, and pitched well despite struggling with control at points. He finished with a line of 3.2 innings pitched, 3 hits, 3 runs (1 earned), 4 walks, and 4 strikeouts. Despite the strange line, Greene pitched around runners quite well.

Meanwhile, six TCU relievers (Spencer Arrighetti, Dalton Brown, Augie Mihlbauer, James Notary, Dawson Barr, and Cal Coughlin) combined for 5.1 innings of one-run baseball, allowing just one hit and striking out seven in the process.

Abilene Christian took an early lead in the second inning, when Robert Salazar hit a solo home run into TCU’s bullpen. Haylen Green walked the next batter before getting a fly out to end the top half of the inning.

TCU wouldn’t stay down long, as they rattled off another 2-out rally in the bottom of the inning. With two outs and Johnny Rizer on second, Bobby Goodloe hit a ground ball to shortstop. The throw was low, and ACU’s first baseman couldn’t pick it. Rizer came around to score and Goodloe advanced to second.

ACU’s starting pitcher Brock Barger had already been shaky, but he followed up the error by hitting Hunter Wolfe and Porter Brown to load the bases. Josh Watson then singled to center to push two runs across, giving TCU the 3-1 lead. The next batter, Austin Henry, singled to left scoring Brown and Watson, as TCU went up 5-1.

Henry’s single would chase Barger after less than two innings pitched.

TCU’s 5-1 lead held until the fourth inning. Two errors by Bobby Goodloe in the inning helped ACU push two runs across the plate, cutting the Frogs’ lead to 5-3. Haylen Green didn’t make it out of the inning, but Spencer Arighetti came on to get the final out of the inning.

As they did in the second, TCU responded in the bottom of the fourth after seeing ACU put runs on the board. Hunter Wolfe led off the inning with a walk and promptly stole second base. Porter Brown was then hit by a pitch for the second time in the game. With two on and no out, Josh Watson stepped back up to the plate.

Before Watson could do damage, Wolfe and Brown executed a perfect double-steal. On the next pitch Watson hit a ground ball to second base for the first out of the inning, but Wolfe crossed the plate to make it 6-3 TCU.

Two innings later TCU officially made it a blowout. Hunter Wolfe got things started once again, this time with a single. He made his way around the bases courtesy of two errors, scoring on a passed ball to make it 7-3. Then, with Porter Brown and Austin Henry on base, catcher Alex Isola, making his second straight start, hit a monster home run to left center to push TCU ahead 10-3.

The seventh inning saw the Frogs continue to pour it on. After Austin Keefer and Dean Frew both reached base, Wolfe roped a double to left-center, bringing both runs home for a 12-3 lead.

Abilene Christian got a run back in the top of the 8th inning, as freshman pitcher Dawson Barr threw a couple wild pitches to bring a guy in. He also walked a batter and hit a batter in what was a shaky debut for the true freshman.

Cal Coughlin made his season debut in the 9th inning for the Frogs, closing out the game with two strikeouts.

TCU moves to 3-1 on the season, and they start a three-game series at Lupton on Friday evening at 6:30, vs. Grand Canyon University.

Check out Coach Schlossnagle’s postgame comments below: