TCU 9, Stephen F. Austin 3: Homers, flashy gloves, solid pitching define TCU’s win

Jacob Meador balled out on the mound and Brayden Taylor and Zach Humphreys both hit big home runs, as TCU lapped Stephen F. Austin on Tuesday night 9-3.

Meador lasted 6.2 innings, allowing just two hits and striking out six, in an incredibly efficient performance. The freshman from Burleson needed just 70 pitches to get through his outing, reminding fans of Preston Morrison with great control and a handful of deadly pitches.

Meanwhile, Brayden Taylor hit his second home run in as many games, and Phillip Sikes drove in three runs while being busy in center field, racking up seven putouts.

SFA jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the second inning thanks to back to back hits from Gabe Irwin and Chane Dodge. Even with the run allowed, Meador’s inning took only 11 pitches to complete.

The Frogs reclaimed the lead in the third inning, thanks Taylor’s solo home run shot to center, followed by a sacrifice fly from Sikes to score Conner Shepherd. They blew the doors off in the sixth, scoring six runs.

The inning was highlighted by a Sikes double to push TCU’s lead to 9-1, scoring Humphreys and Gene Wood.

Four TCU relievers - Milhlbauer, Hierholzer, Beethe, and Speaker - closed things out once Meador’s night was finished, although two runs did come across in the ninth after a Taylor error kept the inning alive.

TCU moves to 6-2 on the season with the win, and now prepares to head to Houston for the Shriners Hospitals for Children College Classic, where they’ll face Texas A&M Corpus Christi, Texas State, and Sam Houston State.