Baseball: TCU Extends Winning Streak to Six With 5-3 Defeat of Texas State

TCU made the 219-mile trip south to San Marcos on Tuesday night, playing visitor to the Texas State Bobcats. The Horned Frogs entered the in-state matchup having won five straight, while Texas State came into the matchup having lost three of its last four.

The Horned Frogs lineup wasted little time putting numbers on the scoreboard. Third baseman Colton Griffin and catcher Isaac Cadena each hit singles to start the game, but leadoff man Griffin was picked off after reaching first. Cadena, on the other hand, advanced from first to home, and did so the long way. He advanced to second after Cole Cramer was hit by a pitch, and stole third base, allowing him to reach home plate on a wild pitch. At the end of the top of the first, TCU held a 1-0 advantage.

After Texas State tied the game up in the bottom of the second, the Frogs struck back in the third. Shortstop Anthony Silva scored Chase Brunson on a single to left center field. Silva was one of three TCU batters to finish the game with an RBI. In the fourth inning, Griffin, who recorded three hits in the win, produced an RBI double, and an inning later, Silva scored a run thanks to a fielding error, giving TCU its fourth run of the game.

In between Silva's RBI single in the third inning and Griffin's RBI double in the fourth, the Bobcats scored their second run of the game when third baseman Chase Mora brought a runner home on a single. In the bottom of the sixth inning, right fielder Alan Shipley hit a solo home run for Texas State but TCU maintained a 4-3 lead.

Second baseman Jack Bell put the finishing touches on the win, smashing a solo shot over the right field wall in the top of the eighth, giving the Frogs a 5-3 lead that they would not surrender.

Kirk Saarloos sent seven pitchers to the mound throughout TCU's win. Louis Rodriguez got the start and pitched two innings, allowing one run on two hits. Zack James and Kaden Smith combined for the next inning of work, combining for one hit, one run and two strikeouts. Kole Klecker pitched the fourth inning, surrendering zero runs on zero hits while striking out one batter.

Freshman righty Nate Stern earned the win for TCU, pitching the fifth and sixth innings allowing one run and striking out five Texas State batters. Freshman Noah Franco pitched the seventh and eighth innings and struck out four, and Cohen Feser pitched the bottom of the ninth and earned the save. Feser struck out two of the three batters he saw to close out the game for TCU.

The Horned Frogs kick of Big 12 play on Friday in Forth Worth against Arizona State. First pitch is slated for 6 p.m.

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