June 13, 2010

Final Stats

AUSTIN, Texas - The fifth-ranked TCU Horned Frogs handed No. 2 Texas a 4-1 defeat Sunday afternoon to earn their first-ever trip to the College World Series in Omaha. Kyle Winkler tossed 7 2/3 scoreless innings and Aaron Schultz connected on a two-run blast to help send the Frogs into the history books.

Kyle Winkler (12-1) lived dangerously as he had runners on in every inning but one, but he was able to work out of the jams to earn the biggest win in school history. He held the Longhorns scoreless for 7 2/3 innings, allowing just five hits, walking three and striking out six. Tyler Lockwood tallied the final four outs, giving up just one unearned run on two hits to lock down his seventh save of the season.

For Lockwood, he made his 86th career appearance to hold the top spot in school history.

The Longhorns put the pressure on early and often starting in the first inning when they worked a pair of walks. Matt Curry made an outstanding defensive play on a ball hit down the line and Winkler froze Cameron Rupp at the plate to leave the two runners on.

Winkler worked around a one-out double in the second and a two-out single in the third to keep the game scoreless.

In the fourth, he worked out of another big jam as the Longhorns picked up a single and a walk with one out. Winkler bore down and got Jordan Etier to fly out and Connor Rowe to strike out to end the inning.

TCU finally broke through in the bottom of the fifth inning as it got the lead-off batter on. Taylor Featherston atoned for his two-out error in the fifth with a hustle double to right center. An errant throw from the right fielder allowed Featherston to advance to third. Jason Coats put the Frogs up 1-0 with a single through the drawn-in infield.

The Frogs got two huge insurance runs in the bottom of the seventh off one of the best closer's in the country, Chance Ruffin. Featherston did a good job to work a full-count walk with one out. After a strike out, Schultz battled to a 2-2 count and unloaded on a Ruffin pitch, driving it into the parking lot beyond left field for a 3-0 lead.

Bryan Holaday made it a 4-0 contest with a solo shot in the bottom of the eighth.

Texas avoided the shutout with an unearned run in the top of the ninth, but Lockwood got Jordan Weymouth to ground out to Jerome Pena to end the game and send the Frogs to Omaha for the first time.

The victory moves TCU to 51-12 on the season. The Frogs' first game in Omaha will come against Florida State. The Seminoles defeated Vanderbilt 2-1 in their Super Regional.