April 15, 2011
SAN DIEGO - TCU scored four runs in both the fifth and sixth innings to break open a one-run game en route to an 11-4 decision over San Diego State Friday evening at Tony Gwynn Stadium. A total of six Aztec hurlers were unable to keep the Horned Frog offense in check as five of those pitchers allowed at least one run.
The visitors got to SDSU starter Corey Black for a run in the top of the first on a two-out RBI double by Jason Coats to take a 1-0 lead. The Aztecs responded with a run in their half of the inning as Brandon Meredith's sacrifice fly scored Tim Zier, who had led off with a double and advanced to third on Pat Colwell's sacrifice bunt.
The Horned Frogs regained the lead with a marker in the top of the third. This time it was an RBI single by Coats that drove home Jantzen Witte to make it a 2-1 game.
That run gave TCU (23-11; 8-2 MWC) the lead for good and meant that Black would be tagged with the loss to fall to 2-1 on the season. Black went 4.0 innings allowing the two runs (one earned) on four hits with three walks and four strikeouts.
The Frogs took control of the contest with four runs on three hits and a pair of walks in the fifth and duplicated that stat line in the sixth to go up 10-2. On the night, the TCU threesome of Witte, Taylor Featherston and Coats combined for eight hits, eight runs scored and four runs batted in.
San Diego State (11-23; 5-5 MWC) scored single runs in the fifth, seventh and eighth innings, but were unable to sustain a rally to get back into the game. The only inning in which it had more than one hit was the eighth, when it loaded the bases and scored once on a walk and three singles before a double play ended the threat.
Freshman center fielder Cody Smith was the lone Aztec with more than one hit on the night as he recorded a pair of singles and scored twice. Meredith drive in a pair of runs with his sac fly in the first and an RBI single in the seventh.
TCU starter Kyle Winkler (6-1) would get credit for the victory after tossing six innings and giving up two runs on four hits with three walks and four strikeouts.
The Horned Frogs and Aztecs continue their weekend series with a contest on Saturday (April 16) scheduled for a 6:00 p.m. start at Tony Gwynn Stadium. On the mound, TCU left-hander Matt Purke (4-1, 1.47) will oppose SDSU freshman southpaw Cole Swanson (2-1, 2.84).