TCU Dominates in 6-1 Win Over Utah

Saturday, March 21

Salt Lake City, Utah

2:00 PM

TCU

13-5, 2-0

Utah*

7-11, 1-4

TCU

Utah

Bryan Holaday delivered the game-winning hit in the seventh.

TCU Dominates in 6-1 Win Over Utah

3/21/2009 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

March 21, 2009

Final Stats

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah - The No. 14 TCU Horned Frogs ensured the series win with a dominating 6-1 victory over Utah Saturday afternoon. The Frogs rode the right arm of Taylor Cragin, who extended his scoreless innings pitched to 16 with 7 2/3 shutout innings, to their second league win of the season. Bryan Holaday connected for his first home run of the season and Chris Ellington notched three hits in the contest.

Ben Carruthers was hit by a pitch to lead off the game. The Frogs made it hurt as they turned it into a two-out run and another early lead in the game. With two outs in the inning, Ellington singled to center, moving Carruthers to third. Matt Vern singled off the first baseman to drive in Carruthers to make it a 1-0 Frog lead.

The Utes tried to mount a rally in the bottom of the frame as they had runners on the corners with just one out. TCU went to the bullpen early, calling on Cragin, who got out of the jam on a double play ball off the bat of Nick Kuroczko.

A quiet couple of innings followed before TCU was once again able to dent the scoreboard. Ellington broke up a string of seven straight retired by Ute starter Andrew Wilding (0-3) with a base knock through the right side. With two outs, Holaday hit a line drive home run over the left field fence to give the Frogs a 3-0 advantage.

Cragin continued to dominate the Utes as he faced just two batters over the minimum through the eighth inning. A two-out single in the second was erased as Holaday gunned him out at second to end the inning. With two on and one out in the third, Cragin induced his second double play ball of the game to hold the Utes off the scoreboard. From there, he retired eight straight and 16-of-the-next-17, before giving way to Erik Miller in the ninth.

TCU finally put the game out of reach with a three-run eighth inning to take a commanding 6-0 lead. Brett Medlin had the lone hit of the frame on a lead-off double. A failed pick-off attempt turned into a run as the pitcher air mailed the ball into center field, moving Medlin to third where he scored from on another errant throw, this time from the center fielder.

Back-to-back walks to Matt Carpenter and Taylor Featherston put two on with only one out. Jason Coats grounded out to advance the runners 90 feet and a wild pitch plated Carpenter for the 5-0 lead. Vern got in a run down between first and second, allowing Featherston to score the final run of the game for TCU.

Utah's lone run of the contest came on a solo home run to right field off the bat of Corey Shimada.

Cragin improved to 3-0 on the season. He allowed just three hits and one walk in 7 2/3 innings of work with three strikeouts. Erik Miller pitched the ninth inning, surrendering one run on two hits with two strikeouts.

The Frogs (13-5, 2-0 MWC) will go for the sweep on Sunday afternoon. Game time against the Utes is slated for 1 p.m. (CST). Kyle Winkler will get the start for the Horned Frogs.