March 1, 2008

Final Stats

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. - The TCU Horned Frogs battled hard but couldn't hold off the Pepperdine Waves as they scored eight times in the final two innings to hand the Frogs a 10-4 loss Saturday after at the HHH Metrodome. The Waves battled back twice from deficits before eventually taking the lead in the ninth inning. TCU was led at the plate by Bryan Holaday, who finished the game 3-for-4 with an RBI and a double.

TCU grab the early lead in the second inning, making a lead-off walk to Matt Carpenter pay. Utilizing small ball techniques, Carpenter moved into scoring position with his second stolen base of the season and scored on a double to left center off the bat of Bryan Holaday. Bryan Kervin followed with another double to make it a 2-0 Horned Frog advantage.

Pepperdine cut the lead in half in the top of the fourth, picking up a run on two hits. Eric Thames doubled with one out and came around to score on a two-out single off the bat of Ryan Heroy. Frog starting pitcher, Steven Maxwell got out of the inning getting Nate Simon to ground out, preserving the 2-1 TCU lead.

Maxwell averted disaster in the fifth as Pepperdine made a bid to tie the game. Bryce Mendonca doubled with two outs to deep right field, but a great timing pick-off play to erase Mendonca between Maxwell and Kervin at second base ended the inning without any damage.

The Wave tied the game up in the top of the sixth on a long home run off the bat of Chase d'Arnaud. Thames followed with a double, but Maxwell again worked out of trouble with two consecutive fly balls to right field.

Two costly errors by the Wave in the bottom of the sixth helped the Frogs regain their two-run advantage. Clint Arnold lead-off and reached on an error by the shortstop. A wild pitch moved Arnold to second and Ben Carruthers slashed the ball through the left side to put runners on the corner. Carpenter untied the game with a long sacrifice fly to left field. On the play, Carruthers moved to third and scored on another error by the shortstop to make it a 4-2 contest.

After escaping the seventh inning with the lead, the Frogs surrendered two two-out runs in the top of the eighth as the Wave battled back to tie the game at four. D'Arnaud doubled to lead off the inning and Matt Aidem worked a one-out walk. Simon cleared the bases with a triple that just landed inside the right field line.

Pepperdine completed their comeback with six two-out runs in the top of the ninth inning. Mendonca singled to start the rally and three straight two-out walks drove in the go-ahead run. Heroy provided a big single that drove in two and when all was said and done, the Waves had a 10-4 lead.

In the no-decision, Maxwell went six innings, allowing two runs on seven hits with three walks and a strikeout. Trent Appleby (0-1) was charged with the loss after surrendering three runs on four hits in 2 1/3 innings of work.

The Frogs fall to 3-3 on the season with the loss. They will round out tournament play on Sunday morning as they face former Conference USA foe, Tulane. First pitch is slated for 11 a.m. at the HHH Metrodome. Greg Holle will make his second start of the season.