TCU
21-12, 6-4
UNLV
14-17, 5-5
Carruthers delivers in the ninth, Frogs win 4-3
4/11/2008 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 11, 2008
FORT WORTH, Texas - Two weeks ago in Las Vegas the UNLV Rebels handed the TCU Horned Frogs two defeats in the bottom of the ninth inning. Friday night, the Frogs exacted revenge, returning the favor on Ben Carruthers' walk-off double in the ninth as TCU defeated UNLV, 4-3, to claim its seventh straight victory. The Rebels left the game on the bases, stranding 14 runners in the contest, eight in scoring position. Andrew Cashner earned his sixth victory of the season with 1 1/3 scoreless innings.Cashner pitched the first 1-2-3 inning for the Frogs in the top of the ninth to set up Carruthers heroics in the bottom of the inning. Matt Carpenter worked a lead-off walk by the Rebels closer, Adam Moser (4-3). He moved to second on a sacrifice bunt from Hunt Woodruff and advance to third with one out on Mosers' second balk of the game.
With the infield in, Corey Steglich bounced the ball to the shortstop, who threw home to get Carpenter attempting to score for the second out. Steglich stole second, sliding around the tag from the shortstop to move into scoring position. Carruthers came through, breaking an 0-for-12 slide, driving the ball to the gap in left center for the walk-off double.
Prior to that inning, the Frogs squandered a golden opportunity to push across the go-ahead run in the bottom of the eighth. Clint Arnold singled to lead off the inning, ending UNLV starter Matt Hutchison's night. Moser struggled early, throwing a wild pitch and balking to move Arnold to third with nobody out. He was able to get out of the jam with two strikeouts and a fly out to end the inning.
The Rebels had plenty of opportunities to take the lead and build on it the entire game. In the first inning, they loaded the bases, but TCU's ace Tyler Lockwood got Michael Brenly to bounce out to Carruthers to end the inning.
A lead-off single by UNLV in the second went by the wayside as did another bases loaded situation in the third. Through three innings, UNLV had stranded seven runners.
TCU finally broke through in the bottom of the third inning, picking up three runs on three hits and a walk. Steglich opened the inning with a lead-off single up the middle. Bryan Kervin drew a one-out walk and to put two on for TCU. Arnold dumped a single into right field that gave TCU a 1-0 advantage. A Hutchison wild pitch allowed Arnold to move to second. A clutch two-out single from Steve Ellington plated both runners to give the Frogs a 3-0 lead.
With one swing of the bat, Xavier Scruggs got the Rebels on the board as he deposited the ball over the fence in left field to make it a 3-1 contest after five.
UNLV would continue to threaten, getting base runners on in every inning but the ninth, but each time the Frogs were able to stave off the threats. But in the seventh inning, the Rebels finally got some clutch hits to tie the game.
Lockwood retired the first two batters in the inning before three straight singles for the Rebels pulled them within two. Anthony Morel singled off reliever Eric Marshall to drive home the tying run. Marshall struck out Bryan Resnick to end the inning.
Lockwood tossed 6 2/3 innings in the no-decision. He allowed three runs on 11 hits, walked two and struck out two. Marshall surrendered just one hit and struck out one in an inning of work. Cashner (6-1) pitched the final 1 1/3 innings walking two and striking out two. He retired the final four batters he faced.
The Frogs improve to 21-12 on the season and 6-4 in Mountain West Conference action. Game two of the series is set for Saturday at 2 p.m. Sean Hoelscher will take the mound for TCU against Corey Hales for UNLV.
Game Notes:
• In the last two seasons, the Horned Frogs are 21-2 in the month of April (7-0 this season).
• Clint Arnold has hit safely in six straight contests.
• A first-inning walk issued by Tyler Lockwood broke a string of 29 2/3 innings without allowing a walk.
• Three of the Frogs' four runs were scored with two outs.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Cashner, Andrew (6-1)
L: MOSER, Adam (4-3)
Batting:
HR: SCRUGGS, X. 1
RBI: SCRUGGS, X. 1 ; DiMAGGIO, J. 1 ; MOREL, A. 1
SH: MOREL, A. 1
Base Running:
RUNS: SCRUGGS, X. 1 ; WALKER, B. 1 ; BRENLY, M. 1
HBP: RESNICK, B. 1
Batting:
2B: Carruthers, Ben 1
RBI: Carruthers, Ben 1 ; Arnold, Clint 1 ; Ellington, Steve 2
SH: Woodruff, Hunt 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Kervin, Bryan 1 ; Arnold, Clint 1 ; Steglich, Corey 2
SB: Steglich, Corey 1
