Macha’s homer sends Frogs past Texas

By Brandon Ortiz
Skiff Staff

Texas-Austin head baseball coach Augie Garrido might want to ask TCU head coach Lance Brown for his playbook back.

The Frogs keep beating him with it.

The Frogs used Garrido’s formula of good defense, pitching, small ball and a little bit of power to upset Texas 7-2 for the second time this season Tuesday.

The win marked the second time the Frogs (12-6) have beaten the Longhorns (12-7) this season. Texas still holds a commanding lead in the all-time series, 212-54-2.

The Frogs beat Texas 2-1 Feb. 4 on junior Justin Crowder’s suicide squeeze and his pitching, which limited the Longhorns to four hits.
TCU used a little bit of small ball to start off Tuesday’s game.

Using the bunt, a weapon Garrido’s Longhorns are known for, sophomore right fielder Terry Trofholz singled to lead off the first inning. Crowder was hit by a pitch, and the Frogs had two on with no out. Longhorns’ pitcher Justin Simmons, who came into the game with a 1.50 ERA, managed to get sophomore first baseman Walter Olmstead to pop out and senior outfielder Tom Bates to strike out.

Simmons the started junior shortstop Erick Macha with a curveball for a first-pitch strike. Macha, who said he knew from scouting reports that Simmons usually doesn’t throw two breaking balls in a row, geared up for the fastball.

“After that first curveball, I was looking for the fastball, and there it was,” Macha said on KTCU 88.7-FM.

Macha connected for a three-run homer to give the Frogs the early lead.

Texas managed to score individual runs in the fourth and fifth innings and came close to taking the lead, but senior pitcher David Tombrella got right fielder Ben King to ground out to Olmstead to leave two Longhorns stranded in the fifth inning.

The Frogs scored four more runs on four hits and two errors in the eighth inning to put the game out of reach.

Despite being out hit 9-6, the Frogs were able to win behind solid pitching from Tombrella and freshman reliever Clayton Jerome.

Tombrella pitched five innings, allowing two runs on six hits and walking one. Jerome pitched four shut-out innings and struck out four to get his first career save — and the second save of the season for TCU.

The Frogs play Southwest Texas State at 2 p.m. today in San Marcos.

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