Big Third Leads TCU to 6-2 Win

Saturday, May 2

Morgantown, W. Va.

3:00 PM

TCU

36-9, 12-5

West Virginia

24-21, 6-11

TCU

West Virginia

Big Third Leads TCU to 6-2 Win

5/2/2015 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

May 2, 2015

Final Stats

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. - Making his school-record 55th career start, Preston Morrison was his usual, dominating self in helping TCU to a 6-2 victory over West Virginia on Saturday. The win moves TCU to 36-9 overall and 12-5 in Big 12 play.

Morrison tossed eight innings, allowing two runs on five hits. He issued two walks and struck out six to improve to 10-1 on the season. Morrison retired the first 11 batters he faced before yielding a one-out single in the fourth. Riley Ferrell surrendered a one-out double in the ninth, but stranded the runner to close out the game.

Two hit batters around a Dane Steinhagen base hit had the bases loaded with nobody out in the first for TCU. Evan Skoug ripped the ball up the middle, but a diving stop from the shortstop started a 6-4-3 double play. Cody Jones on the double play to put the Frogs in front 1-0, but the double play halted a potential big inning.

The Frogs sent nine men to the plate and scored five times in the third to open up a 6-0 lead. Steinhagen ripped a double to open the frame and scored on a one-out single from Skoug. From there the wheels fell off for West Virginia. Elliott Barzilli singled off the pitcher followed by walk to Nolan Brown to load the bases. Keaton Jones was plunked to make it a 3-0 game. A trio of passed balls allowed three more runs to score.

The middle innings were dominated by pitching as neither team mounted much of a threat. TCU managed just two base runners from the fourth through the seventh inning. Morrison allowed just three base runners in the first six innings. He wiggled off the hook in the fifth after issuing a pair of one-out walks. He got KC Huth to ground into an inning-ending 5-3 double play.

West Virginia finally solved Morrison in the bottom of the seventh, picking up a run on three hits. Taylor Munden doubled with one out and scored on a Kyle Davis base hit. A two-out hit had two on, but Morrison got a ground ball to Derek Odell at third to end the inning.

The only other blemish to Morrison's outing was a solo home run by Shaun Wood with one out in the eighth.

With the win, TCU improves to 36-9 overall and 12-5 in Big 12 play. The Frogs will go for their second straight conference sweep on Sunday afternoon at Noon (CT). Alex Young will make the start for the Horned Frogs.