TopFrog
Lifelong Frog
http://www.star-telegram.com/2010/04/06/20...ded-relief.html
[SIZE=14pt]Sooners get much-needed relief against Frogs[/SIZE]
By STEFAN STEVENSON
sstevenson@star-telegram.com
TCU and Oklahoma entered Tuesday's nonconference game at Lupton Stadium each smarting from conference losses over the weekend.
The Horned Frogs lost Game 3 to San Diego State on Saturday, and the Sooners were limping into Fort Worth after suffering a three-game sweep at home to No. 7 Texas.
A crowd of 3,924, the second-largest in Lupton Stadium's eight-year history, saw the Sooners stop their slide and the Frogs' struggles continue with OU's 4-2 victory.
Oklahoma, ranked No. 16 in the USA Today/ESPN coaches' poll, scored two runs in the first after starting a three-hit rally with two outs and no one on off TCU starter Paul Gerrish.
TCU (20-7), ranked No. 12 in the coaches' poll, had a chance to put some runs on the board in the bottom of the inning, after the first three batters reached on a single and two walks. Oklahoma coach Sunny Golloway wasted no time pulling starter Drew Verhagen and called on reliever Jeremy Erben, who entered with a 0.61 ERA, but no more than 42/3 innings of work. The Sooners got much more from him Tuesday.
"When you're facing a good team and they roll out maybe the best relief pitcher in the Big 12 in the first inning, you know it means something to both sides," TCU coach Jim Schlossnagle said.
Erben got Frogs' cleanup hitter Matt Curry to swing at his first pitch, a slider down, which Curry tapped back to Erben for a 1-2-3 double play. Jimmie Pharr grounded out to second to end the inning.
Erben continued to stifle the Frogs' hitters for the next 72/3 innings. The only hiccup came in the second inning when Taylor Featherston reached second on a single and error by the shortstop, and then made it to third on a wild pitch. Featherston scored on Erben's errant throw to first on a pick-off play. Featherston scored again in the sixth after a triple with two outs. Josh Elander singled him home to pull TCU within 3-2.
Gerrish settled down and pitched 61/3 innings, allowing three runs on nine hits. Trent Appleby pitched the final 22/3, allowing a ninth-inning run to score after two quick outs.
"We give up three runs with two outs and nobody on base," Schlossnagle said. "That was big. We had poor at-bats in the first inning with the bases loaded. We didn't get a sacrifice bunt down. [Jerome] Pena missed a hit-and-run."
Brance Rivera and Pena reached on Texas leaguers to give the Frogs runners at first and second with one out in the bottom of the ninth, but Bryan Holaday's sharply hit ball to short started a game-ending double play for the Sooners.
Each team threw a runner out at home. Rivera threw out Cody Reine as Holaday made a great stab up the third-base line to apply the tag in the fourth inning. In the fifth, Holaday was thrown out at home on Jason Coats' double down the right-field line on a great relay throw from first baseman Cameron Seitzer.
"That was a really good college baseball game," Golloway said. "There were quality defensive plays tonight along with some great at-bats and quality pitches. Our guys really played well and I'm proud of the way they responded after last weekend."
Stefan Stevenson, 817-390-7760
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
http://www.star-telegram.com/2010/04/06/20...-tcus-loss.html
[SIZE=12pt]First inning crucial in TCU's loss to Oklahoma[/SIZE]
Why Oklahoma won: The first inning turned out to be crucial as the Sooners rallied with two outs, scoring twice on three consecutive hits. The Frogs let a golden scoring opportunity slip by with the bases loaded and no outs in the bottom of the first.
Notable
Oklahoma has won five in a row over TCU. The Frogs travel to Norman on April 20.
TCU didn't walk a batter for the first time since Matt Purke pitched a complete game March 13.
Up next: TCU at Houston, 6:30 p.m. Friday, Cougar Field
[SIZE=14pt]Sooners get much-needed relief against Frogs[/SIZE]
By STEFAN STEVENSON
sstevenson@star-telegram.com
TCU and Oklahoma entered Tuesday's nonconference game at Lupton Stadium each smarting from conference losses over the weekend.
The Horned Frogs lost Game 3 to San Diego State on Saturday, and the Sooners were limping into Fort Worth after suffering a three-game sweep at home to No. 7 Texas.
A crowd of 3,924, the second-largest in Lupton Stadium's eight-year history, saw the Sooners stop their slide and the Frogs' struggles continue with OU's 4-2 victory.
Oklahoma, ranked No. 16 in the USA Today/ESPN coaches' poll, scored two runs in the first after starting a three-hit rally with two outs and no one on off TCU starter Paul Gerrish.
TCU (20-7), ranked No. 12 in the coaches' poll, had a chance to put some runs on the board in the bottom of the inning, after the first three batters reached on a single and two walks. Oklahoma coach Sunny Golloway wasted no time pulling starter Drew Verhagen and called on reliever Jeremy Erben, who entered with a 0.61 ERA, but no more than 42/3 innings of work. The Sooners got much more from him Tuesday.
"When you're facing a good team and they roll out maybe the best relief pitcher in the Big 12 in the first inning, you know it means something to both sides," TCU coach Jim Schlossnagle said.
Erben got Frogs' cleanup hitter Matt Curry to swing at his first pitch, a slider down, which Curry tapped back to Erben for a 1-2-3 double play. Jimmie Pharr grounded out to second to end the inning.
Erben continued to stifle the Frogs' hitters for the next 72/3 innings. The only hiccup came in the second inning when Taylor Featherston reached second on a single and error by the shortstop, and then made it to third on a wild pitch. Featherston scored on Erben's errant throw to first on a pick-off play. Featherston scored again in the sixth after a triple with two outs. Josh Elander singled him home to pull TCU within 3-2.
Gerrish settled down and pitched 61/3 innings, allowing three runs on nine hits. Trent Appleby pitched the final 22/3, allowing a ninth-inning run to score after two quick outs.
"We give up three runs with two outs and nobody on base," Schlossnagle said. "That was big. We had poor at-bats in the first inning with the bases loaded. We didn't get a sacrifice bunt down. [Jerome] Pena missed a hit-and-run."
Brance Rivera and Pena reached on Texas leaguers to give the Frogs runners at first and second with one out in the bottom of the ninth, but Bryan Holaday's sharply hit ball to short started a game-ending double play for the Sooners.
Each team threw a runner out at home. Rivera threw out Cody Reine as Holaday made a great stab up the third-base line to apply the tag in the fourth inning. In the fifth, Holaday was thrown out at home on Jason Coats' double down the right-field line on a great relay throw from first baseman Cameron Seitzer.
"That was a really good college baseball game," Golloway said. "There were quality defensive plays tonight along with some great at-bats and quality pitches. Our guys really played well and I'm proud of the way they responded after last weekend."
Stefan Stevenson, 817-390-7760
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
http://www.star-telegram.com/2010/04/06/20...-tcus-loss.html
[SIZE=12pt]First inning crucial in TCU's loss to Oklahoma[/SIZE]
Why Oklahoma won: The first inning turned out to be crucial as the Sooners rallied with two outs, scoring twice on three consecutive hits. The Frogs let a golden scoring opportunity slip by with the bases loaded and no outs in the bottom of the first.
Notable
Oklahoma has won five in a row over TCU. The Frogs travel to Norman on April 20.
TCU didn't walk a batter for the first time since Matt Purke pitched a complete game March 13.
Up next: TCU at Houston, 6:30 p.m. Friday, Cougar Field