TCU Defeats Kentucky, 5-1, In Opener

Friday, February 14

Lupton Stadium

6:30 p.m.

TCU

1-0

Kentucky

0-1

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Kentucky	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	1	4	1
TCU	3	0	0	0	0	0	2	0	X	5	6	1

Photogallery

TCU Defeats Kentucky, 5-1, In Opener

2/14/2020 11:21:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)Jim Schlossnagle Postgame Photo Gallery

Shepherd drives in three; Ray fans seven

FORT WORTH – The TCU Horned Frogs opened the 2020 campaign with a 5-1 victory over Kentucky Friday night at Lupton Stadium. Conner Shepherd led the team offensively with three RBIs, while Johnny Ray fanned seven over 4 2/3 innings in his first career start at TCU.

The Rundown
Ray turned in an outstanding performance on the mound. He fanned seven, including two each in the first three innings, over 4 2/3 innings. The redshirt-freshman allowed a run on just two hits and walked three.

Offensively, the Horned Frogs gave Ray a 3-0 lead to work with in the first. Tommy Sacco worked a walk and moved to second on an infield hit off the bat of Austin Henry. A walk to Gene Wood loaded the bases. An error by the second baseman allowed two runs to score. A sacrifice fly from Conner Shepherd extended the lead.

Kentucky pulled within two in the fifth after a one-out triple turned into the Wildcats lone run. With the tying runs on base, Haylen Green (1-0) came on to strike out the final batter of the frame.

TCU again called on the bullpen to get out of a tight situation as Kentucky had the tying runs in scoring position with two outs in the seventh. Marcelo Perez got a looking strikeout to end the frame.

In the bottom of the inning, the Frogs got some breathing room with a two-run triple off the bat of Shepherd to make it a 5-1 ballgame.

Riley Cornelio took over in the eighth and finished the game. He allowed a hit, a walk and struck out one in his collegiate debut.

Stat of the Game:
4 – TCU was 4-for-4 in stolen bases in the contest. Four different players recorded a stolen base in Zach Humphreys, Phillip Sikes, Hunter Wolfe and Gene Wood.

Notes:
• TCU improves to 11-7 in season-openers at Lupton Stadium.
• TCU is now 11-6 in season-openers under head coach Jim Schlossnagle.
• The TCU pitching staff registered 11 strikeouts in the game.
• Johnny Ray made his first start at TCU.
• Riley Cornelio made his collegiate debut on the mound in the eighth inning.
• Tommy Sacco, Gene Wood, Gray Rodgers and Phillip Sikes made their TCU debuts in the starting lineup.
• Sacco, Rodgers and Sikes each recorded their first-career hit.
• Conner Shepherd tallied his 11^th career multi-RBI contest.

Next Up:
With the victory, TCU improves to 1-0 on the season. The Horned Frogs and the Wildcats will meet in Game 2 of the series on Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m.