Feb. 21, 2017
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ARLINGTON, Texas -- Consensus preseason All-America catcher Evan Skoug's two-out, two-run homer in the eighth inning broke a tie game and lifted No. 1 TCU to a 7-2 win at UTA, in front of a school-record 2,008 fans in the home opener of the 2017 season, on Tuesday night at Clay Gould Ballpark.
The school-record crowd was treated to a well-played, well-pitched game at Clay Gould Ballpark. The crowd eclipsed the previous record of 1,388 on April 20, 2004 vs. Texas A&M.
UTA (2-3) was searching for its first win over a No. 1 ranked team since 1983 at Texas but after the Mavs took a two-run lead in the first inning, TCU plated single runs in the third and fifth inning to tie the game and got a two-run homer from Skoug for the difference in the eighth. A defensive miscue in the ninth inning led to three add-on runs for the Frogs.
The Mavs rallied in the eighth inning to load the bases with one out but TCU turned to preseason All-America closer Dustin Feltman, who was perfect in save chances as a freshman in 2016. TCU fielded the fly ball down the line and gunned out the third UTA run at the plate, ending the inning.
TCU (4-0) used the big hit from Skoug to post the win, also getting a standout relief outing from Charles King, who didn't allow a hit over three shutout innings.
LEADING THE MAVS
Three Mavericks accounted for all six hits in the lineup, with Phil Berthiaume and Brady Cox each going 2-for-3 with a walk. Senior leftfielder Quintin Rohrbaugh went 2-for-4 with a RBI hit. Omar Salinas added a walk and has reached base safely in all five games in 2016.
ON THE MOUND
The Mavs turned to junior southpaw Adam Meyer for his season debut and his fourth career start. Meyer worked 3.1 innings, allowing two hits and one run, walking one and striking out four.
He was relieved by righty Dylan Schneider, who turned in a sparkling relief outing, working 3.1 innings, allowing two hits and one run, not issuing a walk and striking out a season-best three. Lefty Jake Wilcox came on in relief to face a left-handed hitter, TCU senior Nolan Brown before UTA turned to righty Jordon West (0-1) to escape the seventh-inning jam. West allowed two hits and five runs - four earned - to suffer the loss, allowing two walks and striking out one. Senior Austin Gardner got the final two outs in the ninth.
TCU starter Mitchell Traver made his season debut, working three innings, allowing three hits and two runs - one earned - walking two and striking out two. Freshman Charles King started the fourth inning and worked three hitless innings, allowing just a walk and striking out three over 42 pitches. Jake Eissler (1-0) started the seventh inning, working 1.1 innings, getting two outs with a strikeout.
With the go-ahead run at the plate in the eighth inning, TCU called upon Feltman for the five-out save. Feltman got the key double play to end the frame and with TCU leading 7-2, was pulled in relief in the ninth. Sophomore Sean Wymer worked the ninth.
HOW THEY SCORED
UTA opened the scoring with two runs on three hits and a TCU error in the bottom of the first inning. Berthiaume singled with one out and after a walk to Salinas, Rohrbaugh singled through the middle to score Berthiaume, with a misplay in centerfield allowing the runners to advance to scoring position. Cox then delivered a RBI single through the left side, scoring Salinas for a 2-0 lead.
The Horned Frogs answered in the top of the third inning as Brown led off with a single off the mitt of Meyer, stealing second and third off the southpaw. Ryan Merrill then doubled down the rightfield line with two strikes to score Brown and cut into the UTA lead, 2-1.
TCU evened up the game in the top of the fourth inning as Brown singled to leftfield with one out and stole second, with the throw sailing high to allow him to scamper to third base. Zach Humphrey's sacrifice fly to leftfield scored Brown to make it a 2-2 game.
In the top of the eighth inning, TCU took its first lead of the game as Austen Wade drew a one-out walk and Skoug's opposite-field, two-run homer gave TCU a 4-2 lead. It was Skoug's first home run of the year.
UTA rallied to load the bases on three hits in the bottom of the eighth inning, forcing the Frogs to turn to Feltman in relief. Feltman got Noah Vaughan to fly out down the rightfield line and Berthiaume motored home but his attempt at an elusive tag forced him to miss touching the plate, with the throw from Austen Wade to Humphreys getting the final out of the frame at the plate.
In the ninth, TCU got a leadoff walk from Cam Warner. After a fly out, Brown hit a roller into the hole on the right side, with second baseman Easton Johnson ranging to his left to field the ball. Johnson attempted to throw from his knees to get Warner at second but the throw sailed into leftfield, allowing Warner to score and Brown to take third. Humphrey's then ripped an RBI double off the wall to score Brown. Wade then pieced together a majestic at-bat fouling off four two-strike offerings before lofting the ninth pitch of the at-bat into left-centerfield to score Humprey's from second base.
NEXT
UTA returns to action on Friday, beginning a three-game series with Louisiana Tech - a 2016 NCAA Tournament team - at 6:30 p.m. CT at Clay Gould Ballpark.
