April 29, 2007
FORT WORTH, Texas - San Diego State's offense was held to six hits and the pitching staff gave up its most earned runs in the past 10 games in an 11-1 loss at TCU Sunday afternoon. The loss allowed the Horned Frogs to sweep the weekend series as the Aztecs lost for the fourth straight time overall. In the process, TCU improved to 34-10 overall and 15-2 in the Mountain West Conference while SDSU dropped 27-21 (11-7 MWC).
TCU starter Chance Corgan pitched seven strong innings, limiting the Aztecs to a single run on six hits while striking out five en route to improving to 6-1 on the season.
TCU got on the scoreboard in its first at bat against starter Lance Sewell as a Steven Trout double followed by an RBI single by Andrew Walker gave it a 1-0 lead after one.
The Horned Frogs extended their advantage with a pair of unearned runs in the third. Back-to-back singles by Ben Carruthers and Clint Arnold put runners on first and second with no outs. After a sac bunt attempt by Trout failed, both runners moved up a base on a passed ball.
Walker then hit a ball to the left of the mound that Sewell fielded, but his throw home was in the dirt and got by catcher Frank LoNigro, allowing both Carruthers and Arnold to score to make it a 3-0 lead. Those were all the runs TCU would need to make a loser of Sewell who saw his record fall to 5-4.
SDSU's first chance to score came in the top of the fourth when singles by Brian Lucas and Pat Colwell put runners on first and third with one out. However, on the fake pickoff throw to third play, Corgan wheeled and caught Colwell off first base for the second out, then got Josh Chasse on a called third strike.
TCU padded its lead with a two-out rally in its half of the sixth off Aztec reliever J.R. Murphy. Steve Ellington's single up the middle was followed by a double down the left field line by Carruthers, his third hit of the afternoon. Arnold then doubled to center to bring home both runners. Trout then drove home Arnold with a single up the middle to make it a 6-0 lead for the Horned Frogs.
TCU tacked on another run in the seventh on singles by Matt Vern and Bryan Kervin and an RBI sacrifice bunt off the bat of Hunt Woodruff, then added four more in the eighth on three hits, three walks and a hit batter off SDSU relievers Mike Koons and Garrett Parcell.
The Horned Frog's Corgan kept the SDSU offense in check, allowing just four hits over the first seven innings. The junior right-hander pitched into the eighth inning before was removed from the game after giving up singles to Brian Lucas and Pat Colwell to open the frame.
Steven Maxwell came on in relief at that point and retired the next two batters before uncorking a wild pitch that allowed Lucas to score from third base with SDSU's only run of the contest. Lucas and Colwell accounted for four of San Diego State's hits with a pair of single apiece. Maxwell finished out the contest on the mound as he retired all six hitter he faced to nail down the victory for TCU.
The Aztecs now return home where they will face UC Riverside on Tuesday, May 1, at 6:00 p.m. (PDT) at Tony Gwynn Stadium.