Baseball: Kansas survives TCU comeback in Big 12 Conference tournament

TCU baseball nearly pulled off a tremendous comeback during Big 12 Conference tournament action Friday morning, when the Horned Frogs erased a nine-run deficit and belted five home runs in an 11-10 loss against the Kansas Jayhawks. TCU fell behind 9-0 after the first inning, but two home runs from Kurtis Byrne and a two-run blast from Luke Boyers late in the game helped TCU (33-21, 14-16 Big 12) rally all the way back to tie the score. With its conference tournament run over, TCU will now await its NCAA Tournament fate.

Kansas dominated the first inning, scoring nine runs and chasing TCU starter Chase Hoover out of the game. Kole Klecker entered in relief and didn’t fare much better for the Horned Frogs, allowing three earned runs on four hits over one and one-third innings. TCU’s comeback began in the top of the second inning, where Jack Basseer smashed a solo shot and Karson Bowen drilled a two-run homer off the left-field-line foul pole. Kurtis Byrne followed with a three-run blast in the top of the third inning to make the score 9-6 Kansas.

Byrne’s second shot of the game was a solo pop in the top of the fifth inning, where TCU brought Kansas within three runs once again after the Jayhawks tallied one run in the bottom of the third inning. Trailing 10-7, TCU tied the score in the top of the seventh inning, where a double-play grounder allowed one run to come home before Luke Boyers evened the score with a towering two-run blast to right field. TCU escaped a bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the seventh inning, with Braeden Sloan replacing Hunter Hodges on the mound with a full count and striking out Kansas hitter Ben Hartl to end the frame.

Kansas regained the lead in the bottom of the eighth inning after a solo home run put TCU behind 11-10. The Horned Frogs hit back-to-back singles to start the top of the ninth inning, but a double-play grounder and a flyout to center field ended TCU’s tournament run. The Horned Frogs went 2-2 over four tournament games, defeating West Virginia and K-State.