Alexander's Gem Leads TCU To Victory

Sunday, May 31

Fort Worth, Texas

7:35 PM

TCU

46-12

NC State

36-22

TCU

NC State

Alexander's Gem Leads TCU To Victory

6/1/2015 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

June 1, 2015

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FORT WORTH - Tyler Alexander was perfect through six and was brilliant in tossing his third career complete game to help TCU stave off elimination for the second straight contest. The Horned Frogs topped NC State, 8-2, Sunday night to force a winner-take-all contest Monday night.

The sophomore dialed up his best performance of the season to improve to 6-2 on the year. He retired the first 18 batters he faced before an error to open the seventh broke up the perfect game. Alexander allowed just two runs (one earned) on three hits and struck out six in nine innings of work. He faced more than three batters in an inning just twice.

TCU's offense backed up the stellar performance on the mound from Alexander with five runs in the first three innings. The Frogs scored eight runs, five with two outs, on 12 hits in the game.

Evan Skoug got the ball rolling for TCU in the second with a lead-off single. Nolan Brown blooped a single into left that was misplayed, allowing both runners to move up an extra 90 feet. With two-outs, Derek Odell hit a line drive over the leaping second baseman for a two-run single, giving the Frogs the early lead.

Another big inning followed in the third as TCU added a trio of runs to make it a 5-0 game. Three straight base hits from Garrett Crain, Cody Jones and Jeremie Fagnan to start the inning made it a 3-0 game. With two outs, Dane Steinhagen ripped a triple inside the right field line to drive in Jones and Fagnan.

TCU threatened to break the game open in the fifth as it loaded the bases with nobody out on a pair of walks and a Cody Jones base hit. With one out, NC State reliever Cory Wilder unleashed a wild pitch to send Crain home to make it 6-0. The Wolfpack got a big out at home on a hard chopper to first. The throw home was just in time to nip Cody Jones for the second out of the inning.

NC State's first base runner came via a two-base error to open up the seventh inning. A base hit followed to put runners on the corners. Alexander surrendered a sacrifice fly to Preston Palmeiro to make it a 6-1 game. After another hit, he dialed up his third strikeout to end the frame.

The Frogs got the run back in the eighth. Brown singled to open the inning and moved to second on a Keaton Jones sacrifice. Odell picked up his third RBI of the night with a single through the right side to make it a 7-1 game.

Another TCU run crossed the plate in the ninth to push the lead to seven, 8-1. Cody Jones' picked up his third hit of the night to open the inning. With two outs, Skoug doubled off the wall to drive in Jones for an 8-1 lead.

Logan Ratledge hit a lead-off home run in the ninth to make it an 8-2 game, but Alexander retired the next three batters in order to lock up the victory.

With the victory, TCU improves to 46-12 overall. The Horned Frogs will send Alex Young to the mound Monday night in the Regional Championship game. First pitch is set for 7 p.m. The game will be televised on ESPN3.