TCU Stymied in 4-1 Loss to Michigan State

Saturday, March 8

Fort Worth, Texas

1:00 PM

TCU

8-6

Michigan State

7-6

Michigan State

TCU

TCU Stymied in 4-1 Loss to Michigan State

3/8/2014 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

March 8, 2014

Final Stats | Notes

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	F
Michigan St.	0	0	3	1	0	0	0	0	0	4
TCU	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1

Stat Leaders
Pitching	IP	Hits	Runs	ER	BB	K
MSU - VanVossen (W, 3-0)	8.0	6	1	1	2	6
TCU - Morrison (L, 1-2)	4.0	8	4	4	1	3
MSU - Kinley (S, 3)	1.0	0	0	0	0	0
Hitting	AB	R	Hits	RBI	BB	K
TCU - Cron	3	0	2	1	0	0
MSU - Cheky	4	2	4	0	0	0

FORT WORTH - Michigan State used a three-run third inning to take a lead it would never relinquish on the way to a 4-1 win over TCU Saturday afternoon. The Horned Frogs managed just six hits, two of which came from Kevin Cron.

Preston Morrison (1-2) allowed four runs on eight hits in four innings of work. He walked just one batter (it was intentional) and struck out three. Young tossed a season-high four scoreless innings. He gave up five hits, walked one and struck out two. Brian Trieglaff tossed a scoreless ninth inning.

The Horned Frogs opened up a 1-0 advantage in the bottom of the first. Dylan Fitzgerald got things rolling with a one-out single. A four-pitch walk to Boomer White followed. With two outs, Cron hit a high pop up on the infield that fell in for an infield single, allowing Fitzgerald to score the first run of the game.

Michigan State stormed back to take the lead in the top of the third inning, scoring a trio of runs on four hits. Cam Gibson and Anthony Cheky opened the frame with back-to-back singles to put runners on the corners. With one out, an errant pick-off throw tied the game at one. With two outs, the Frogs issued an intentional walk to Jimmy Pickens. He teamed up with Cheky to execute a double steal. Ryan Richardson and PJ Nowak each followed with RBI singles to give the Spartans a 3-1 advantage.

The Spartans added a two-out run in the top of the fourth to extend their lead to three, 4-1. Cheky reached on a bunt single and moved to second on an error. Blaise Salter lined a double to right center to drive in the run.

On in relief, Young gave up two base hits and loaded the bases with nobody out. He pitched his way out of the jam, getting Nowak to ground into a 5-2-3 double play and Justin Hovis to line out to end the inning without any runs crossing the plate.

Michigan State had base runners in every inning, but the bullpen worked around the runners to keep the game within striking distance. The Spartans stranded 13 runners in the contest.

Spartan starter Mick VanVossen got out of a rocky first inning and never looked back. He faced just five batters once in the game and allowed only one base runner in three innings.

With the loss, TCU falls to 8-6 overall. TCU and Michigan State will wrap up the three game series Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. Tyler Alexander will toe the rubber for the Horned Frogs and face the Spartans' Chase Rihtarchik.