by FORT WORTH – No. 3 TCU led wire-to-wire in stretching its winning streak to four games with a 10-2 victory over UT Rio Grande Valley on Tuesday night at Lupton Stadium. Ryan Merrill’s career-high four RBIs led the Horned Frog attack.
The Rundown
TCU opened the scoring with a four-run second. Back-to-back singles from Luken Baker and Josh Watson had runners on the corners with nobody out. Elliott Barzilli (Nooksack Tribe) ripped a base hit up the middle to put the Frogs on top. Merrill followed with a three-run blast to right field for a 4-0 lead.
A lead-off walk to Evan Skoug turned into a 5-0 lead. Baker singled and stole second. The throw to the base got away, allowing Skoug to score easily from third.
UTRGV picked up a pair of runs, one each in the fourth and fifth inning to pull within three, 5-2.
TCU put the game out of reach with a five spot in the eighth. Merrill added his fourth RBI of the night to drive in the first run of the frame. Austen Wade picked up a bases-loaded walk and Cam Warner doubled home two more runs. Skoug’s sacrifice fly capped the scoring.
On the mound, Jake Eissler (3-0) allowed a run on six hits in four innings of work. Charles King allowed an unearned run in three innings of relief. Sean Wymer struck out all three batters he faced and Cal Coughlin fanned two of the three he faced to close out the win.
Stat of the Game
6 – For just the sixth time this season, TCU won a game in which it did not trail at any point.
Notes:
• TCU scored double-digit runs for the fifth time this season.
• TCU tallied double-digit hits for the eighth time this season.
• TCU scored first for the 10th time this season.
• TCU has homered in 13 games this season.
• TCU has tallied multiple runs in an inning 35 times this season.
• Luken Baker posted his sixth multi-hit game of the season and the 33rd of his career.
• Elliott Barzilli tallied his fifth multi-hit game of the season and the 47th of his career.
Next Up:
TCU improves to 18-5 overall with the victory. The Horned Frogs and the Vaqueros will wrap up the midweek series Wednesday night at 6:30 p.m
