April 9, 2009

Final Stats

EDINBURG, Texas - The No. 19 TCU Horned Frogs returned to their winning ways on Thursday night as they won 9-1 over UT-Pan American. Matt Carpenter led the offensive charge for the Frogs with two solo home runs. Four Frog pitchers limited the Broncs to a run on six hits.

TCU struck first in the contest, picking up two runs on two hits in the top of the third inning. With two outs, Carpenter worked the second of his three walks in the game to keep the inning alive. Chris Ellington followed with a double to deep left field that scored Carpenter all the way from first. Matt Vern then made it a 2-0 contest with a base hit to left.

Three times the Broncs got a runner on with only one out in the inning, but could do nothing with it. A one-out walk in the second was erased by Bryan Holaday, who threw out the runner trying to steal second to end the inning. A hit batsman in the fourth was also caught stealing to end the inning.

TCU tacked on to its lead in the fifth on Carpenter's first home run of the game to make it a 3-0 contest.

After throwing 79 pitches, TCU starter Paul Gerrish (4-0) was relieved by Kyle Winkler. Gerrish tossed 4 2/3 innings, allowing one hit, walking one and striking out four. Winkler surrendered just one hit in his 1 1/3 innings pitched with one strike out.

A four-run seventh inning broke the game open. Taylor Featherston led off the inning with a base hit. Carpenter followed with a walk and Ellington loaded the bases with his third hit of the night. Vern came through with a two-run single up the middle. Holaday grounded out to drive in the third run of the inning and Ben Carruthers singled with two outs to drive in Vern, giving the Frogs a commanding 7-0 lead.

The Broncs picked up their lone run of the game in the bottom of the seventh inning. With two runners in scoring position and nobody out, the Frogs picked up a big out. Andrew Perez grounded to Trent Appleby on the mound, who caught the runner at third in a rundown for the first out of the inning. A one-out single from Jordan Rutenbar got the Broncs on the board. Gabriel Salinas lined into an inning-ending double play, getting the Frogs out of the jam.

Carpenter's second home run of the game in the eighth inning made it an 8-0 contest. Carruthers delivered a bases-loaded sacrifice fly in the ninth to account for the final score. In the frame, Zac Jordan picked up his first career double.

The game didn't lack drama as the Broncs made a bid to rally from the 9-1 deficit. Abraham Garcia doubled with one out and tried to score on a two-out hit from Andrew Perez, but Brett Medlin threw him out at the plate trying to score.

The Frogs improve to 20-10 on the season. Game two of the series is slated to begin at 6:30 p.m. on Friday night.