The Horned Frogs lived to play another game in the MWC Tournament with a 14-1 victory over Utah at Tony Gwynn Stadium.
The Frogs pounded out 18 hits in the win, led by four hits from Josh Elander and three from Kyle Von Tungeln.
Erik Miller turned in another solid outing. He allowed one run on seven hits in seven innings of work. The junior issued just one walk and struck out six. Tyler Duffie pitched the final two innings.
The Horned Frogs struck for a pair of runs in the bottom of the second and never looked back. Joe Weik worked a lead-off walk and scored from first on a double off the wall in left center by Elander. He moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on base hit by Brance Rivera.
Utah cut the lead in half with a run in the third. James Brooks doubled with one out and moved to third on a miscue in the outfield. He scored the Utes lone run on a base hit by Michael Beltran.
TCU got the run back in the fourth inning as it took advantage of a hit by pitch. Jason Coats was plunked to open the inning and moved to third on a base hit from Elander. Taylor Featherton made it a 3-1 contest with a sacrifice fly to right.
In the fifth, the Frogs sent 11 men to the plate and scored five times to open up an 8-1 advantage. With one out, the hit parade started. Jerome Pena moved to third on a base hit from Von Tungeln. Jantzen Witte drove in the first run of the inning. Coats smoked a two-run double and scored on a base hit from Elander. An error allowed Elander to score the final run of the inning.
Another four runs crossed the plate for TCU in the seventh inning. Pinch runner Jimmie Pharr scored the first run of the frame with on a Zac Jordan base hit. Pena’s third hit of the afternoon drove in Rivera and Von Tungeln drove in two with a triple to cap the scoring.
A Pharr blast in the eighth tacked on two more runs to give the Frogs the 14-1 lead.
TCU improves to 42-16 on the season.
Game Notes:
• Josh Elander extended his hitting streak to seven games with a second-inning double.
• Jantzen Witte has stretch his hitting streak to seven games and his streak of reaching base safely to 19 games.
• TCU batted around in the fifth inning. It’s the 16th time this season the Frogs have sent at least nine men to the plate in an inning.
• Joe Weik’s hitting streak is stopped at 18 games, however, he has reached base safely in 20 straight contests.
• TCU has scored 10-or-more runs in 11 games this season.
• Jimmie Pharr’s last two hits have been home runs.
• TCU bullpen catcher Al Ralston made his collegiate debut. He pinch hit in the eighth inning, battling through a nine-pitch at-bat, eventually striking out.
