TCU improved their record to 30-8 this season with a 9-2 win over the Broncos of Santa Clara University (16-22). The game completed the sweep for the Frogs after the first two games were postponed by weather.
Left-Hander Alex Young went six innings for TCU and was credited the win after giving up five hits and two earned runs. Young also struck out eight batters.
The two earned runs came from a Santa Clara homerun by first basemen Ryan Budnick.
Young said the two-run shot happened on a fastball that got away from him.
“I threw my curveball most of the game and I didn’t have to rely on my changeup that much,” Young said. “The big hit came off of a fastball that I just babied.”
Those two runs would be all the offense the Broncos could muster as Travis Evans and Preston Guillory would finish the game for the Frogs on the mound.
All three TCU pitchers combined for 13 strikeouts on the day.
Offensively, a familiar face led the Frogs to victory.
Center fielder Cody Jones hit his third home run of the year. Jones now leads the Frogs in runs batted in with 20 on the season. The personal success, he said, has been a team effort.
“The more guys we have squaring down balls, the better,”Jones said. “When everyone does their part it makes everyone else’s job that much easier.”
A five-run fourth inning helped put the Frogs out in front for good. Three more in the sixth and one in the seventh were added for insurance.
The extra offense was a nice change of pace for the Frogs, who only scored one run in the first game of the series.
Head coach Jim Schlossnagle has always been a fan of offense, especially home runs, even when it comes at the expense of his own pitcher.
“When the ball is hit hard, you want the hitter to be rewarded and the pitcher to be penalized, there is no doubt about it, home runs help college baseball,” Schlossnagle said.
The Frogs will look to ride their four-game winning streak into Tuesday night’s match up with Incarnate Word. After that, they start a three-game home series against Big 12 opponent, Texas.
