TCU Had Control Again So How Did It Slip Away in Another Sweep Loss

Not to sugarcoat anything, this series was ugly, and this game was no different. The Horned Frogs had a similar story to most of their losses this season: they were up big early and could not hold on. They handed Oklahoma State the series sweep as the Cowboys mounted a comeback to win 11-10. The Frogs’ bullpen faltered, and missed opportunities at the plate cost them the game. This was a winnable game, similar to Game 1 of the series, and should have been a win, but Oklahoma State fought its way back from the ground up. Let’s dive into this loss.

Oklahoma State Erases Early Horned Frog Lead to Complete Comeback

Zack James got the start today for the Frogs and pitched ok early, but struggled to get a full rhythm going. Oklahoma State was able to strike first with a 1-run homer from Alex Conover. This would be a tough time for the Cowboys for a little while, as TCU struck big in the 2nd inning, scoring 7 runs. Rob Liddington Jr. got the scoring going for the Frogs with a two-run homer to left field, his fifth of the season, bringing Nolan Traeger in.

The offense kept the ball rolling as Brady Dallimore launched a solo home run to left field in the very next at-bat. Later in the inning, Cole Cramer singled through the left side to score Jack Bell while Jack Arthur advanced to third.

Sawyer Strosnider followed with a sacrifice fly to deep left field that brought Arthur home, and Chase Brunson capped off the big inning with a two-run shot to left field, his 10th of the season, scoring Cramer.

The offensive burst gave TCU a huge 7-1 lead, and at that point, it looked like the Horned Frogs were going to cruise to a win after getting to Oklahoma State starter Brennan Phillips early. The scoring continued in the third inning for the Frogs as Jack Arthur crushed a monster home run over the batter’s eye in center field to extend the lead to 8-1.

However, Oklahoma State immediately answered in the bottom of the third when Aidan Meola homered to left field, scoring Brock Thompson. That would be the end of the day for Zack James, who went 3.2 innings while giving up six hits, three walks, six runs, and only striking out two batters. It was simply an off day for James.

Noah Franco entered and managed to settle things down briefly, stopping the bleeding as the game became an 8-3 contest. TCU showed more life in the fourth inning when four walks gifted the Frogs another run, pushing the lead to 9-3. At that point, the Horned Frogs had a chance to completely break the game open, drawing four walks in the first five hitters and having bases loaded with one out, but they failed to add to the lead.

Momemntun Flips as Oklahoma State Storms Back

That was when everything began to unravel for TCU. Oklahoma State slowly chipped away at the lead before completely flipping the script in the middle innings. In the fourth, Thompson drove in another run with a single to right field before Kollin Ritchie followed with an RBI infield single of his own. Meola then added another RBI single later in the inning as the Cowboys trimmed the deficit to 9-6.

At that point, the momentum had completely shifted. Franco managed to limit the damage for a while, but after 1.2 innings, Ritchie struck again with a two-run homer to right field — his 26th of the season — scoring Alex Conover and pulling Oklahoma State within one.

TCU then turned to Walter Quinn, but the Cowboys kept rolling as Meola launched another home run. The Frogs made yet another pitching change, this time to Nate Stern, but it did not slow Oklahoma State down either as Campbell Smithwick blasted a go-ahead homer to give the Cowboys a 10-9 lead. At that point, TCU had fully collapsed.

One bright spot for the Frogs was Tanner Saggese, who came in and stabilized things late. Outside of one run in the eighth inning, he looked sharp and gave TCU every chance to climb back into the game. He finished with two innings pitched and four strikeouts while allowing just one run.

TCU refused to go away quietly. In the eighth inning, the Frogs had the tying run standing on third base with nobody out, but once again, they could not deliver the big hit. Oklahoma State added an insurance run later in the inning, making the missed opportunity even more costly.

The Frogs threatened again in the ninth after an error to lead off the inning opened the door. Rob Liddington Jr. doubled home a run to pull TCU within one at 11-10, but the game-tying run was ultimately stranded at third base. All the Frogs needed was a sacrifice fly to tie the game, but they could not overcome the 13 runners they left on base. No matter how you look at it, this was about as frustrating of a loss as it gets.

What's Next

TCU now finds itself in a must-win situation down the stretch. The Horned Frogs likely need to win their final two regular-season series and probably pick up a few wins in the Big 12 Tournament as well if they want to feel comfortable about their postseason chances. After being swept by Oklahoma State, the Frogs must mentally reset, but the good news is they will have extra time to regroup with no midweek game on the schedule.

With the loss, TCU falls to 29-18 overall and 13-11 in Big 12 play. The Frogs will return home for their final home series of the season, beginning Friday night against the Utah Utes baseball. First pitch for the series opener is scheduled for 6 p.m., and the entire series will be televised on ESPN+.

It is officially must-win time for TCU. This team has the ingredients, but can they put it together? That's the million-dollar question.

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