TCU Blanks Texas Tech In Series Opener

Thursday, April 2

Lubbock, Texas

6:30 PM

TCU

22-5, 5-2

Texas Tech

18-12, 3-4

TCU

Texas Tech

TCU Blanks Texas Tech In Series Opener

4/2/2015 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

April 2, 2015

Final Stats | Notes | Photo Gallery

LUBBOCK, Texas - A late inning surge by No. 1 TCU helped it ease by Texas Tech with an 8-0 victory in the series opener at Rip Griffin Park. The Horned Frogs scored seven runs in their last two at-bats to notch their 22nd victory of the season.

Mitchell Traver (5-0), Trey Teakell and Brian Howard combined to pitch TCU's sixth shutout of the season. Traver was strong in his six innings of work, allowing just five hits and striking out four. Trey Teakell retired all six batters he faced and Howard worked around a lead-off walk in the ninth to close out the game.

Texas Tech had just two runners in scoring position and none advanced past second base in the contest. The only real threat of the ball game came in the fourth when they had two on after a pair of two-out singles. Traver ended the threat with a strikeout to keep the game scoreless.

Offensively, the Frogs were held in check through the first four innings. They had a chance in the first after a one-out triple from Connor Wanhanen. Derek Odell hit hard liner up the middle that was knocked down by the pitcher and he threw Wanhanen out at home to end the threat.

TCU finally broke through in the fifth as it took advantage of a lead-off single from Garrett Crain and an error that allowed him to take second. Keaton Jones dropped down a sacrifice bunt to move Crain to third and he eventually scored on a balk to give the Frogs a 1-0 lead.

The Frogs nursed the lead through the seventh before picking up a big insurance run in the eighth. A one-out walk to Cody Jones got things going. He stole second and was standing on third after a wild pitch. Wanhanen dropped down a perfect suicide squeeze bunt and beat the throw to first for an RBI single and a 2-0 TCU lead.

A pair of walks and a bunt single from Dane Steinhagen to start the ninth doomed Texas Tech as it opened the door for a big inning. Tech's catcher was called for interference with Jeremie Fagnan at the plate, bringing home the third run of the game. Cody Jones drew a bases-loaded walk to make it 4-0. Wanhanen's third hit of the night bounced up the middle through a drawn in infield for a 6-0 lead. With one out, Evan Skoug added his own two-run single to put the game out of reach.

Howard came on in the ninth and retired the three straight after issuing a lead-off walk in the frame.

With the victory, TCU improves to 22-5 overall and 5-2 in Big 12 play. Game two of the series is set for Friday afternoon at 2. The game will be televised on FSSW. Preston Morrison will get the start for TCU and face Texas Tech's Cameron Smith.