TCU downs WSU baseball 8-4
Sam Hilliard’s heroics were not enough for Wichita State on Saturday at the Shockers fell to Texas Christian 8-4 in Fort Worth.
The combination of two preseason all-America pitchers and the top two batters in fifth-ranked TCU’s lineup played havoc with the Shockers.
TCU leadoff hitter Cody Jones and No. 2 batter Connor Wanhanen combined to reach base nine of 10 plate appearances. They scores four runs, got six hits and drew three walks.
TCU starter Preston Morrison retired the first nine Shockers he faced and wound up with his sixth win in as many decisions. Closer Riley Ferrell struck out three Shockers looking in the ninth. Both Morrison and Riley have been tabbed preseason all-Americans.
Hilliard, the Shocker DH, drove in all four of WSU’s runs. In the fourth, his two-out single drove in Tanner Dearman (single) and Mikel Mucha (double). Those runs drew WSU within 3-2.
In the seventh, Ryan Tinkham led off with his 13th double of the season, a shot off the left-center field wall. Hilliard, a junior, followed with his first homer of the season, a blast to right-center. Those runs drew WSU (11-15) to within 6-4.
TCU (20-4) answered with single runs in the seventh and eighth.
Notes — Shortstop Tanner Kirk, who was struck by a pitch which glanced off the bill of his helmet Friday night, has three fractures in his cheek and around his eye. More will be known after he sees a docter in Wichita on Monday.… WSU will send Tyler Jones (7.71, 1-2) to face Alex Young (1.21, 4-1) on Sunday in the final game of the series.… Mucha continues his hot streak. He is 3 for 8 in the series with a double.… TCU’s pitching staff entered Saturday’s game with a 1.74 ERA.… TCU will play a three-game series at Wichita State next season.
Wichita State | AB | R | H | BI | BB | SO | AVG |
Dearman lf | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .208 |
Burns cf | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .207 |
Mucha rf | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .329 |
Kihle cf-lf | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .292 |
Tinkham 1b | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | .315 |
Hilliard dh | 4 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 1 | .291 |
Rader 3b | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .268 |
Farris 2b | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .275 |
Troutwine c | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | .286 |
Vickers ss | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .136 |
Totals | 35 | 4 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 11 | |
Texas Christian | |||||||
C.Jones cf | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | .385 |
Wanhanen dh | 4 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .407 |
Crain 2b | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .244 |
Skoug c | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | .293 |
Steinhagen lf | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | .305 |
Odell 3b | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | .253 |
K.Jones ss | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | .303 |
Brown rf | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .321 |
Landestoy 1b | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
Fagnan 1b | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .244 |
Totals | 34 | 9 | 13 | 6 | 5 | 3 | |
Wichita St. | 000 | 200 | 200 | — | 4 |
Texas Christian | 102 | 030 | 11x | — | 8 |
E — Farris, Hayes, Landestoy, Odell. LOB — WSU 4, TCU 9. 2B — Mucha (5), Tinkham (13), Farris (5), Wanhanen (2), K.Jones (5), Skoug (5), Brown (5). HR — Hilliard (1). SF — Skoug. CS — Wanhanen (2), K.Jones (3).
Wichita State | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
Bargfeldt L,2-1 | 5 | 9 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 3.74 |
Hayes | 2 1/3 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3.52 |
Biechler | 2/3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.86 |
Texas Christian | |||||||
Morrison W,6-0 | 6 1/3 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1.79 |
Teakell | 1 2/3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1.16 |
Ferrell | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1.42 |
WP — Bargfeldt, Teakell. HBP — Skoug (by Biechler). PB — Troutwine 2. Umpires — home, Michael Grishman; first, Danny Maher; second, Austin Cunningham; third, Darin Heare. T — 2:46. A — 3,627.
This story was originally published March 28, 2015 at 8:00 PM with the headline "TCU downs WSU baseball 8-4."