TCU improved its record to 31-8 (7-5 Big 12 Conference) this season with a 6-1 win over the Incarnate Word Cardinals (13-26) at Lupton Stadium Tuesday.

Right-hander Brian Howard went five innings for TCU and was credited with the win after giving up two hits and no earned runs. Howard also struck out a career high seven batters.

“From a pitching standpoint, tonight’s game is about exactly what we could have wanted,” said TCU head coach Jim Schlossnagle.

Schlossnagle said he was happy with Howard’s performance.

“I thought Brian pitched great,” Schlossnagle said. “He pitched deep into the game, which is what we needed. It was definitely a better start than the last game he had against Abilene Christian…but his low cutter was good tonight. He did a good job. He did a great job.”

Incarnate Word’s one earned run came as an RBI single from designated hitter Christian Divelbiss in the seventh inning.

The single run would be all the offense the Cardinals could collect as Drew Gooch and Preston Guillory finished the game for the Frogs on the mound.

The left-handed Gooch, making his third appearance this season, pitched around a one-out triple to quickly end the sixth inning. Gooch also collected his first career strikeout.

Right-hander Preston Guillory came on in the seventh to finish out the win for the Frogs.

All three TCU pitchers combined for 11 strikeouts for the night. The Horned Frogs have struck out at least 11 or more in their last five games.

Offensively, the team consistently added runs to an early 1-0 lead in the first.

Left fielder Connor Wanhanen hit a single in the first inning to put the Frogs on the board. Wanhanen was the offensive leader of the game with two runs.

Shortstop Keaton Jones hit a single with two outs in the third and drove in two runs to give TCU a 3-0 lead. Jones has 11 two-out runs at the plate this season.

Schlossnagle said he was glad to see Keaton Jones get two big hits tonight.

“He hasn’t been swinging it great lately…it was good to see him come out of it,” he said. “Especially to see him hit the ball the other way, that’s always been his forte, to be able to hit the ball onto all fields. He’s always been a good offensive player so it’s certainly nice to have that veteran presence at the bottom of the line up and he got two big hits for us tonight.”

Keaton Jones then tallied his third RBI of the night after center Zack Plunkett got on with his third hit of the night, extending TCU’s lead to 5-0 after the fifth inning.

Center fielder Cody Jones’s team-leading 21st RBI of the season gave the Frogs their sixth run in the eighth.

After tonight, the Frogs have had double digit hits in eight of their last 11 games. Tuesday’s game also marks four straight errorless games.

Keaton Jones said the team always needs to improve, but is confident for the game against University of Texas this weekend.

“We always need to improve and get better each and every day,” Jones said. “But, we are confident where we are at right now and we’re happy. Tonight was a good win. It was a good warm-up for UT. UT is where the real test is for us.”

Tonight’s victory over Incarnate Word is a good way for the Frogs to start out the week as TCU looks to play Big 12 competitor Texas this weekend.

Schlossnagle said he thinks the team is prepared to beat Texas.

“We have definitely done what we needed to do the past five games,” Schlossnagle said. “We are excited to get back out in conference play. We are encouraging every TCU fan out there to get out here. It’s a nice Big-12 weekend and we only have two home weekends left, so were hoping for a good crowd and a good performance.”