Baseball team finishes with 1-2 record at Express College Classic

By Brandon Ortiz
Skiff Staff

When it rains, it pours.

At least it did this weekend for the TCU baseball team’s pitching staff.

The Frogs (4-5) were hurt by the big inning at the Express College Classic in Round Rock. Against Southwest Texas State Sunday, the Frogs were tied 4-4 through six innings before allowing four runs in the seventh and eight more in the eighth inning. The team lost 16-4 to finish with a 1-2 record in the tournament.

The Frogs were down two runs and within striking distance Friday against Kansas until the seventh inning, when Kansas scored two runs and put the game out of reach in the ninth with three more runs. The Frogs lost 7-3.

Senior pitcher Chad Durham warms up in a game against Prairie View A&M. TCU’s starting pitchers combined for a 3.50 ERA in 18 innings, while the bullpen had a 14.63 ERA in eight innings as the Frogs went 1-2.

Sunday was not the first time the Frogs have lost because their opponent had one good inning. Missouri Southern was trailing 5-2 going into the fourth inning Wednesday before scoring seven runs. Senior outfielder Tom Bates said the pattern has befuddled the team.

“It comes down to focus,” Bates said. “Something happens and it snowballs. In all those games we have lost, there (was a big inning) that snowballed.”

Head coach Lance Brown said poor pitching and defense is to blame.

“If you walk a couple of guys, you give up a couple of hits, you make an error — all of a sudden they have scored five or six runs,” Brown said. “It all goes back to pitching. If you’re not getting good pitching, then you are putting your defense in a situation to be bad.”

In three games, the Frogs had seven errors and gave up 24 runs.

The overall pitching numbers may not have been good, but the starting pitching was. Junior Justin Crowder pitched 7 1/3 innings against North Carolina-Charlotte, giving up one run on four hits. The Frogs won handily, 10-1. Senior Chris Bradshaw began the tournament with a solid start Friday against Kansas, allowing three earned runs and six hits in 6 1/3 innings.

TCU starters combined for a 3.50 ERA in 18 innings. The bullpen had a 14.63 ERA in eight innings.

Brown said relief pitching can make the difference between a win and a loss.

“Your bullpen is the key,” Brown said. “Either you got a bullpen and you win, or you don’t have a bullpen and you lose. It is the most critical part of the game. You are never going to win with a bad bullpen. Never.”

After the Frogs, 9-6, loss to Missouri Southern Wednesday, Brown said he would tinker with the lineup this weekend. Sophomore infielder Walter Olmstead, who normally plays first base or designated hitter, saw time in the outfield. Sophomore outfielder Jeff Reed had his first start of the season and junior shortstop Erick Macha, who normally bats third, led off Sunday.

“We’re trying to see what our best lineup is,” Brown said. “We are trying to look at all the combinations.”

The Frogs have lost five of their last seven games after starting the season 2-0. Junior infielder Jared Lundeen said the team is trying to “stay positive.”

“We are focusing more on being positive and not worrying about the outside,” Lundeen said. “We are just trying not to go crazy.”

Today’s game at San Jose State has been postponed due to rain, and will be rescheduled for later in the season.

Brandon Ortiz
b.p.ortiz@student.tcu.edu