 |
Tuesday,
February 17, 2004 |
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
Offense
lacking in 2 weekend defeats
A
lack of discipline against Texas State drops the Horned
Frogs’ record to 1-3.
By
Danny
Gillham
Skiff Staff
Head baseball coach Jim Schlossnagle said he wondered
where the TCU team that showed offensive prowess a week
ago went.
The Frogs lost a Sunday doubleheader to Texas State as
the Bobcats produced timely hits to beat the Frogs 7-4
in 10 innings in game one, and 6-2 in the night game.
“They were definitely more disciplined than we were,”
said Schlossnagle, whose team left 19 runners on base
in the two games. “They did a good job of adjusting
with two strikes and putting the ball in play. That’s
the kind of club we’re supposed to be. That’s
the kind of club we were last weekend against” Dallas
Baptist.
Both games saw the Frogs fall behind 4-0. The Frogs were
able to claw back and send game one to extra innings,
mainly because of senior pitcher Eugene Espineli.
Espineli, a Texas transfer, tossed six shutout innings
after senior starter Robbie Findlay was pulled after two
innings. Espineli gave up no runs, no hits and struck
out six.
After tying the score 4-4 in the 8th on senior outfielder
J.J. Estrada’s solo home run, TCU surrendered three
runs in the top of the 10th, and went down in order in
the bottom frame.
Schlossnagle said it was a shame his team couldn’t
get the win for Espineli.
“Hopefully the baseball gods will reward him down
the road, because he was every bit that he’s cracked
up to be,” Schlossnagle said.
Espineli said his changeup seemed to keep the Texas State
bats at bay.
“The umpire kept giving me the corners, and I was
going to put it there until he called them balls,”
Espineli said. “I was just looking to go out there
and keep it a four-run deficit as long as I could.”
In the second game, Schlossnagle said the team showed
no life at the plate after again falling behind 4-0. He
pulled senior pitcher Clayton Jerome before the sixth
inning, after throwing just 88 pitches.
Schlossnagle said the team will need his arm this week,
as the Frogs play four games in the next five days, starting
at 3 p.m. today at Texas-Arlington.
The Frogs will then take part in the Southwest Diamond
Classic starting Thursday. Games will be played at LaGrave
Field, home of the Fort Worth Cats.
TCU technically doesn’t have a home game this week
but they won’t be traveling far. However, Schlossnagle
said his team might be getting a little too comfortable
at home.
“We probably need to get as far away from Fort Worth
as we can right now,” Schlossnagle said.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
