BB: Dallas Baptist Nudges TCU 4-3

April 3, 2012
TCU Athletics

FORT WORTH, Texas - The TCU Horned Frogs fell into a 4-0 hole to Dallas Baptist and rallied back to within one, 4-3, but couldn't complete the comeback Tuesday night. Jason Coats picked up three hits in the loss and Preston Morrison tossed a career-high 5 2/3 innings.

Jerrick Suiter (0-1) allowed three runs on four hits with a strikeout in 1 1/3 innings pitched. Preston Morrison was solid, giving up an unearned run on three hits with four strikeouts. Justin Scharf allowed a hit, walked one and struck out one in 2/3 of an inning. Kevin Allen pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings with two walks and one strikeout.

Three straight one-out hits turned into a pair of runs for the Patriots as they took an early lead in the contest. Joel Hutter's double drove in the first run of the game and a Landon Anderson sacrifice fly put Dallas Baptist up 2-0.

The Frogs looked poised to cut into the Patriot lead in the bottom of the first as they had runners on the corners with two outs. Brance Rivera led off the inning with a four-pitch walk. A single by Coats with one out had two on and Rivera moved to third on a long fly ball off the bat of Josh Elander. Patriot starter Jay Calhoun got out of the jam with a strikeout.

In the top of the second, the Patriots used a lead-off triple to add to their lead. Suiter got a big first out with a strikeout then gave way to Morrison. Keaton Jones made a run-saving play at short to record the second out, but Austin Elkins came through with a two-out double to center to give Dallas Baptist a 3-0 lead.

An error in the fifth proved costly as it lead to what proved to be the eventual game-winning run. With one out, Ronnie Mitchell reached on a fielding error and scored on a Boomer Collins double.

TCU's scoring drought finally ended in the sixth inning as the Frogs pushed across a pair of runs on a hit, an error and a hit batter. Coats lined a single to left to open the inning and moved to second on a wild pitch. After Elander was hit by a pitch, the duo executed a double steal and an errant throw to third allowed Coats to score the first run of the game. A passed ball cut the lead in half as Elander raced home to make it 4-2.

The Frogs continued to inch back in the game in the top of the eighth when Coats reached second on a two-base error to open the inning. Elander followed with a base knock to put runners on the corners with nobody out. Coats scored on a double play ball to make it a 4-3 contest.

The Frogs would get no closer as Michael Smith retired the final four batters to end the contest.

TCU falls to 14-12 overall. The Frogs season-long 12-game homestand continues Thursday night when TCU hosts UNC Wilmington in a three-game non-conference series. First pitch on Thursday is slated for 6:30 p.m.