Varsity Tops Alumni 6-1
2/7/2009 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Feb. 7, 2009
FORT WORTH, Texas - The TCU baseball varsity team impressed in a 6-1 victory over an Alumni squad that featured five professional baseball pitchers. Matt Carpenter went 4-for-4 at the plate with two RBIs, while freshman Taylor Featherston hit a two-run home run in the sixth inning to break open a tight game. Steve Ellington had two hits for the Alumni squad.
The game was a pitcher's duel through the first four innings of the contest. Lance Broadway started for the Alumni and wiggled out of an early jam in the first inning after putting runners on first and third with only one out. After allowing a lead-off double in the second, Broadway again battled back to keep the game scoreless.
Kyle Winkler got the start for the Varsity and tossed four scoreless innings. He allowed just one hit and struck out seven.
The Varsity squad finally broke through in the fifth inning, scoring two runs on two hits. Featherston led off the frame with an infield single off of Jake Arrieta. Corey Steglich hit a one-out single to right and moved to second on the throw to put two in scoring position with only one out. Carpenter gave the Frogs a 1-0 advantage with a sacrifice fly to center. Chris Ellington followed with another infield single to plate Steglich with the second run of the inning.
The Alumni squad made a valiant effort to get back in the game in the top of the sixth as Bryan Kervin and Keith Conlon drew lead-off walks. Steve Ellington cut the lead in half with a RBI single to right, but Eric Marshall came in to get the final out of the inning and preserve the 2-1 Varsity lead.
With two outs in the bottom of the sixth, freshman Jason Coats lined a single to center field. He moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on the line drive home run off the bat of Featherston to push the lead to 4-1.
The Varsity continued to tack onto their lead with another in the seventh. A lead-off walk to Davy Wright followed by a single from Carpenter had the Frogs in business. With runners on first-and-third and one out, Wright raced home on a wild pitch to extend the Frogs lead to 5-1.
TCU would add one more run in the bottom of the ninth on a single from Carpenter to account for the final score.
The Alumni pitching staff featured five professional arms as Broadway (2 innings), Espineli (1 inning), Arrieta (2 innings), Cashner (1 inning) and Sam Demel (1 inning) all threw in the contest. Also pitching for the Alumni was Chase Perry and Dillon Farish.
The Varsity squad used five pitchers, four of them freshmen. Along with Winkler, Walker Kelly tossed 1 2/3 innings and Kaleb Merck and Erik Miller each tossed in a scoreless inning.
The Frogs season opens Feb. 20 at No. 5 Cal State Fullerton. First pitch of the 2009 season is slated for 9 p.m. (CST).
