TCU Wins Thriller in CWS Opener

Sunday, June 15

Omaha, Neb.

2:00 PM

TCU

48-16

Texas Tech

45-20

Texas Tech

TCU

TCU Wins Thriller in CWS Opener

6/15/2014 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

June 15, 2014

Final Stats | Notes | Photo Gallery | USATSI Gallery | Postgame Quotes

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	F
Texas Tech	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	0	2
TCU	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	x	3

Stat Leaders
Pitching	IP	Hits	Runs	ER	BB	K
TCU - Ferrell (W, 3-1)	1.2	3	1	1	0	2
Texas Tech - Drozd (L, 7-1)	1.0	3	2	1	0	0
Hitting	AB	R	Hits	RBI	BB	K
TCU - K. Jones	2	1	2	0	1	0
Texas Tech - Nesloney	4	0	1	2	0	1

OMAHA, Neb - The TCU Horned Frogs rallied with a two-run eighth inning to escape with a 3-2 victory over Texas Tech in their opening game of the College World Series. Preston Morrison fanned a career-high 10 batters and Boomer White collected two RBIs.

Pitching and defense dominated for most of the game as the Horned Frogs milked a 1-0 lead through seven innings of play. The bats came to life in the eighth as the team's traded a pair of two-run half innings.

A one-out single in the eighth from Stephen Smith started a string of three straight batters reaching base for Texas Tech. The Frogs went to the bullpen and brought in Riley Ferrell. Pinch hitter Anthony Lyons lined a single into left with the runner on the move. Tyler Nesloney followed with a triple to deep right to give the Red Raiders a 2-1 lead. Ferrell pitched out of the jam with a ground ball and a strikeout to keep the deficit at one.

Texas Tech turned to its bullpen to start the eighth. Keaton Jones greeted the reliever with an infield single to short. He moved to second on a sacrifice bunt from Kyle Bacak. Cody Jones battled his way to a 3-2 count before lining a single up the middle. The second baseman kept the ball on the infield, but his throw to first was high and wide, allowing Keaton Jones to score the tying run. On the play, Cody Jones moved to second and scored easily on a two-out base hit from White to put the Frogs back in front, 3-2.

Ferrell found himself in a mini-jam in the ninth as the tying run was standing on second with two outs. He locked up the victory, getting Todd Ritchie to ground out to end the game.

Preston Morrison started for the Frogs and allowed a run on five hits in 7 1/3 innings of work. He issued just two walks and struck out a career-high 10 in the no-decision. Ferrell (3-1) fanned two and allowed a run on three hits in 1 2/3 innings.

TCU capitalized on its first scoring opportunity to take a 1-0 lead in the first. Cody Jones doubled down the left field line to start the bottom of the first. He moved to third on an Odell sacrifice and scored on a sacrifice fly to center off the bat of White.

Texas Tech flirted with runs in each of the second, fourth and fifth innings. Morrison allowed a pair of one-out hits in the second, but got a fly out and a strikeout to end the inning. Two more base runners were stranded in the fourth as Morrison got a fly out to close the inning.

The Red Raiders' first two hitters reached to open the fifth on an infield single and a walk. Morrison fanned Smith for the first out before getting Bryan Burleson to ground into the inning-ending 5-3 double play.

TCU improves to 48-16 overall with the victory. The Horned Frogs advance in the winner's bracket and will face the winner of the Virginia-Ole Miss game Tuesday night at 7 p.m.