USC Hands TCU 7-6 Extra-Inning Loss

Friday, March 6

Los Angeles, Calif.

8:00 PM

TCU

8-2

USC

13-1

TCU

USC

USC Hands TCU 7-6 Extra-Inning Loss

3/7/2015 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

March 7, 2015

Final Stats | Notes

LOS ANGELES - A suicide squeeze in the bottom of the 12th put an end to a thrilling game as No. 25 USC walked-off with a 7-6 win over No. 1 TCU Friday night in the opening game of the Dodgertown Classic.

A one-out single from Timmy Robinson in the 12th put the winning run on base. Robinson stole second and moved to third on a base hit from Angelo Armenta. Blake Lacey dropped down a suicide squeeze and Robinson barreled over the catcher to score the game-winning run.

The game wouldn't have been in extras if not for a furious four-run rally by the Horned Frogs in the ninth. Trailing 6-2, TCU scored four times on three hits and two costly USC errors.

Nolan Brown started the frame with a base hit and moved to second on a Keaton Jones single. The third baseman airmailed a ball off the bat of Elliott Barzilli to allow Brown to score. With two runners in scoring position, Cody Jones lined a single up the middle to draw the Frogs within one, 6-5.

Austen Wade drew a pinch-hit walk, but on ball four and Jones off and running, the catcher threw the ball into center field, allowing Jones to move to third. Derek Odell bounced into a double play, but Jones was able to score the tying run sending the game to extra innings.

TCU dodged an early bullet as USC threatened to get on the board in the first inning. After a one-out walk and a stolen base had a runner in scoring position. Jeremy Martinez lined a single into left field that looked like it would put the Trojans in front, but Dane Steinhagen came up throwing and gunned the runner out by a mile for the second out of the inning.

USC eventually grabbed the lead in the fourth. Dante Flores doubled with one out and was going to stop at third on a base hit from Lacey, but a miscue in left field allowed Flores to score for a 1-0 lead.

The Frogs wasted no time answering as they, too, took advantage of USC's second error of the game. A dropped ball in center field to open the fifth had Brown standing on second with nobody. Keaton Jones followed with a base knock to left that allowed Brown to score, tying the game at one.

Disaster struck in the bottom of the sixth as USC scored four two-out runs. David Oppenheim broke the tie with a looping single into left that drove in two. AJ Ramirez followed with a two-run home run to make it a 5-1 game.

The teams traded runs in the seventh inning. Elliott Barzilli's pinch-hit single drove in Brown to make it a 5-2 contest, but a hit batter in the bottom of the frame turned into a run on a Robinson sacrifice fly for a 6-2 lead, setting up the wild finish.

Mitchell Traver surrendered three runs, two earned, on six hits in 5 2/3 innings of work. He walked one and struck out seven in the no-decision. Ryan Burnett was touched for three runs on four hits. Brian Trieglaff retired all four batters he faced. Trey Teakell (0-1) took the loss after giving up a run on four hits. He walked one and struck out three.

TCU falls to 8-2 with the loss. The Frogs will continue play in the Dodgertown Classic Saturday night when they head to UCLA to take on the fourth-ranked Bruins. Game time at Jackie Robinson Stadium is set for 8 p.m. (CT).