BB: TCU Tops New Mexico 5-3 After Game Delay

May 5, 2012
TCU Athletics

FORT WORTH, Texas - A Friday night rain storm postponed game one and upon resumption on Saturday, TCU put up four runs in the first and rode it to a 5-3 victory over New Mexico. Kevin Cron and Jantzen Witte combined for five of the Horned Frogs' 10 hits in the game.

Andrew Mitchell's start was cut short due to the rain delay. He gave up a hit and struck out two in his lone inning of work. Preston Morrison (7-0) took the mound to start the game on Saturday. He was touched for three runs on five hits with three strikeouts and a walk in 4 1/3 innings. Brandon Finnegan allowed a hit and struck out one in an inning of work. Justin Scharf surrendered a pair of hits in 2 1/3 innings. Kevin Allen picked up his fourth save of the season, striking out the lone batter he faced in the ninth.

Josh Elander got things rolling in the bottom of the first as he drew a walk when the game resumed. Jason Coats followed with a base hit and Jantzen Witte executed a perfect hit-and-run to put the Frogs on top. Kevin Cron dumped a single into left field to push the lead to 2-0 and Brett Johnson doubled home Witte. Derek Odell hit a sacrifice fly to center field to cap the four-run inning for the Frogs.

New Mexico cut the lead in half in the second inning, scoring two runs on three hits. Josh Melendez doubled and scored on a Trey Porras hit to make it a 4-1 contest. A two-out base hit up the middle from John Pustay made it a 4-2 game.

Another two-out hit for the Lobos pulled them within one in the top of the fourth. Melendez led off the inning with a base hit and scored on a two-out double by Kyle Stiner to make it a 4-3 ballgame. Johnson made a diving stop at first base to preserve the lead, throwing out Pustay to end the inning.

The Lobos kept the pressure on, but each time the Frogs had an answer. A lead-off walk was standing on second with one out when Finnegan came on. He retired the final two batters of the inning to strand the tying run at third.

TCU got a big insurance run in the sixth inning to take a 5-3 lead. With two on an two out, Brance Rivera bounced a single through the left side that plated Cron for the two-run lead.

Coats provided the defensive gem in the seventh to end the inning. Stiner led off the frame with a base hit and was standing on second when Mitchell Garver hit a fly ball to deep left field. Stiner tried to tag and move to third, but Coats threw a strike to third and Witte applied the tag to end the inning.

New Mexico threatened in the top of the ninth with a pair of one out singles. Scharf got a grounder to first for the second out, but on the play the tying run moved into scoring position. Allen came on and needed just three pitches to strike out the batter to close out the game.

TCU improves to 28-15 overall and moves into a first-place tie with New Mexico with a 12-4 conference record.