March 28, 2009
FORT WORTH, Texas - TCU score four unearned runs in the fifth inning and that proved to be the difference as the 16th-ranked Horned Frogs defeated San Diego State, 8-5, Saturday afternoon in Fort Worth, Texas. Those runs erased a 4-1 Aztec lead and helped TCU even the weekend series at one game apiece.
With the victory, the Horned Frogs improved to 15-8 overall and 3-2 in the Mountain West Conference. The loss put an end to SDSU's four-game winning streak as it dropped to 17-9 (5-3 MWC).
After the home side went ahead with a run in the second on doubles by Bryan Holaday and Jason Coats, San Diego answered back by scoring twice in both the fourth and fifth innings to take a 4-1 lead.
In the fourth, Chris Wilson reached on an error with one out and Cory Vaughn followed with a home run deep over the left field fence. It was Vaughn's fifth homer of the season and second in two days as he upped his season RBI total to 30.
In the next frame, the Aztecs loaded the bases on a single to left by Ryan O'Sullivan, walk to Pat Colwell and an infield single by Brandon Decker. That spelled the end of the afternoon for TCU starter Paul Gerrish, who went four innings and would be charged with four runs on five hits.
The Horned Frogs brought on Trent Appleby in relief and he was greeted by a two-run single to left by SDSU's Brandon Meredith to give the Aztecs a three-run advantage.
With one out in the bottom of the inning, Ben Carruthers' grounder to short was handled by O'Sullivan, but the throw to first was misplayed by Meredith on a play that would eventually extend the inning. The Horned Frogs went on to score five times on four hits with four of those runs being unearned.
SDSU starting pitcher Jon Berger (2-3) would be the unfortunate victim of that rally as he would be saddled with the loss. He went a total of five innings and was charged with seven runs while striking out three. Even in the loss, he continued to show good command of the strike zone as he did not give up a walk and has now gone 22.2 innings without issuing a base on balls. His last walk came in the fourth inning of SDSU's game against University of San Diego on March 6.
After giving up the two-run single to Meredith, TCU's Appleby (1-0) finished the final five innings allowing just two more hits along with a walk and five strikeouts as he was credited with his first win of the season. He gave up an unearned run in the ninth as Jomel Torres singled, stole second and went to third on a throwing error, then scored on a ground out by Colwell.
San Diego State finished the afternoon with eight hits, but only Chris Wilson accounted for more than one as he recorded a pair of singles and scored a run. Junior right-hander Kegan Sharp tossed the final three innings on the mound, allowing an unearned run on one hit with a pair of walks and two strikeouts.
San Diego State and TCU will play the rubber game of their weekend series on Sunday (March 29) at 1:00 p.m. at Lupton Stadium.