April 26, 2009
Final Stats
SAN DIEGO --
Tyler Lockwood allowed just three earned runs and struck out a season-high six batters in 7 1/3 innings to lead No. 16 TCU to a 6-5 win at No. 19 San Diego State on Sunday afternoon, moving the Horned Frogs into first place in the Mountain West Conference.
Trailing 1-0 in the top of the third, the Horned Frogs (27-12, 8-4) scored three runs to take a 3-1 lead. Aaron Schultz took a 2-2 pitch up the middle to plate two and put TCU on top for good at 2-1. After advancing to second on a sacrifice bunt by Corey Steglich, Schultz scored on a two-out single by Matt Carpenter.
TCU tacked on two more runs in the fourth, on a two-run homer by Bryan Holiday, to extend its lead to 5-1. It was Holaday's second home run of the series and sixth of the season.
After the Aztecs (28-17, 10-8) scored in the bottom of the sixth to cut their deficit to 5-2, TCU answered quickly in the top of the seventh. A Carpenter two-out double scored Taylor Featherston from first to give the Frogs a 6-2 advantage.
Carpenter and Holaday both had two hits for TCU, which was outhit 13-7 in the game.
Lockwood, who threw 21 first-pitch strikes to the 31 batters he faced, worked into the eighth as he improved to 4-1 on the season. Lockwood helped himself in the field. After a leadoff single in the bottom of the seventh, pinch hitter Easton Gust was picked off first by Lockwood.
San Diego State scored three in the eighth to close within 6-5.
After a Chris Wilson bases-loaded single made it a 6-3 game, Jomel Torres followed with a two-run single to bring the Aztecs within a run at 6-5. However, Torres was thrown out at second on the play as he tried to advance a base following a play at the plate. With the tying run on third and two outs, TCU freshman Erik Miller got Gust on a comebacker to end the inning.
Eric Marshall relieved for TCU to start the bottom of the ninth and recorded his second save in as many days and his sixth on the year. He struck out two in retiring the side in order.
The Frogs return to action Tuesday at 6:35 p.m. at No. 16 Texas A&M, beginning a stretch of five consecutive days with games. TCU will host Houston Baptist Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. before BYU comes to Lupton Stadium for a three-game series beginning Thursday at 6:30 p.m.
