Baseball: TCU suffers midweek loss to Lamar

In TCU Baseball’s final game of its recent homestand, the Horned Frogs fell to Lamar 9-6 on Tuesday night at Lupton Stadium.

The loss drops the Horned Frogs to 22-15 overall.

The Horned Frogs got off to a rough start, committing two errors in the first inning that led to a 1-0 Lamar lead. The Cardinals then added five more runs in the second inning to take a 6-0 lead.

However, TCU did rally for five runs in the third and fourth innings to cut the lead, but the Frogs couldn’t get any closer. After a two-out base hit from Luke Boyers, followed by two walks to load the bases, an error and a wild pitch allowed the Frogs to narrow the gap to 6-2.

With three more runs in the fourth inning, TCU continued to claw back. Austin Davis led off with a double and scored on a base hit from David Bishop. Tre Richardson drew a bases-loaded walk, and Brayden Taylor hit a sacrifice fly to bring TCU within one, 6-5.

Yet — despite the efforts, Lamar extended its lead to 9-5 with two runs in the sixth, and another in the ninth.

TCU did score another run in the eighth inning, bringing Lamar’s lead to 8-6, but left the bases loaded and couldn’t take the lead. Lamar’s final run in the ninth pushed the final score to 9-6.

Braeden Sloan had a rough night, and took the loss after allowing six runs on five hits, while Mason Speaker had a strong performance in the bullpen, retiring all seven batters he faced.

With the loss, TCU’s overall record falls to 22-14. The Frogs will now head on the road to Morgantown, WV, for a crucial Big 12 series against West Virginia.

What Went Wrong

The Horned Frogs committed two costly errors in the first inning that led to a 1-0 Lamar lead. The Cardinals capitalized off continued struggles and added five more runs in the second inning to take a 6-0 lead. TCU’s pitching staff struggled to find the strike zone, walking seven batters in the game. The Frogs also left 11 runners on base, which was ultimately the difference in the game.

What Went Right

Luke Boyers had a career-high four hits for TCU, while Austin Davis and Elijah Nunez both recorded multi-hit games. TCU registered double-digit hits for the 16th time this season. The Frogs’ offense showed some life, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the early deficit, and ultimately they couldn’t capitalize on scoring opportunities.

What’s Next

The Horned Frogs will now head on the road for a crucial Big 12 series against West Virginia. The first game of the series is set for Friday evening and will be televised on Big 12 Now on ESPN+. TCU will need to bounce back quickly in order to stay competitive in the conference standings.