Kyle Winkler allowed only 2 hits over 8 innings as TCU cruised past Oregon State. (ESPN Photo)
The early game of the day was an elimination game between the Texas A&M Aggies and Wright State Raiders. The evening game was the winner’s bracket championship between the Oregon State Beavers and TCU Horned Frogs. Here is your day 2 recap from the Fort Worth Regional.
(2) Texas A&M 6, (4) Wright State 4 (11 innings)
FORT WORTH, Texas – Junior Joe Patterson hit a two-out, two-run home run in the top of the 11th inning to lift No. 18 Texas A&M to a 6-4, come-from-behind win over Wright State to remain alive in NCAA Regional action Saturday afternoon before 2,201 fans at Lupton Stadium.
Patterson stepped to the plate with pinch runner Nick Anders at first base and one out. He squared up on the first pitch of the at-bat from Raider closer Michael Schum and drove it high over the fence in dead center field to put the Aggies on top for the first time on the day.
Senior Kyle Thebeau then capped off the longest relief outing of his career by striking out the side around a pair of hits to not only end A&M’s longest NCAA game in 20 years, but put the Aggies (37-23) into a 2 p.m. game on Sunday afternoon against either TCU or Oregon State. WSU concluded its season at 33-30.
Patterson’s dinger was his second clutch hit in as many at-bats. Trailing 4-3 in the top of the ninth, and down to their final two outs of the season and their careers, seniors Luke Anders and Kyle Colligan delivered back-to-back base hits to put the tying run in scoring position. Patterson then stepped to the plate and, after swinging and missing at Schum’s first offering, laced a ground ball just to the right of the bag at second and just over the glove of a diving Aaron Fields to score pinch-runner Scott Arthur and tie the game at four.
(1) TCU 13, (3) Oregon State 1
Kyle Winkler posted the best outing of his young career as the TCU freshman tossed a two-hitter over 8.0 innings en route to leading the Horned Frogs to a 13-1 victory over Oregon State on Saturday evening at Lupton Stadium.
The TCU right-hander tossed 5.0 innings of no-hit ball before allowing a single to Joey Wong in the top half of the sixth inning. Winkler improved his record to 7-0 on the season after tossing 8.0 innings allowing one run on two hits while striking out four hitters.
The Frog hitters were equally as dominant as their rookie hurler as TCU collected 17 hits with each starter collecting at least one hit in the contest. Matt Carpenter and Matt Vern each led the Frogs with three hits, three runs batted in and two runs scored on the evening.
Taylor Featherston, Chris Ellington, Jason Coats and Aaron Schultz each added two hits apiece while five Frogs scored at least two runs in the contest.
TCU made its mark on the scoreboard in the top half of the second inning when Vern opened up the frame with a double to left field and was plated two batters later when Chris Ellington connected on his sixth home run of the season following a two-run shot over the left field fence.
Sunday Schedule:
Game 5: Texas A&M v. Oregon State (2 p.m. CT)
Game 6: TCU v. Winner Game 5 (7 p.m CT)
