TCU beat Texas Tech 5-3 in the College World Series opener for both teams at TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha, Neb. on June 19, 2016. (Photo by Michelle Bishop)
After Texas Tech broke a tie in the bottom of the eighth to go up 3-2, TCU’s Austen Wade led off the ninth with a walk. Evan Skoug joined him with a single, which would likely have resulted in extra bases if not for left fielder Tyler Neslony’s defensive stop. But one batter later, freshman DH Luken Baker blasted a shot into the bleachers above the left field bullpen to secure the win for TCU.
The teams battled back and forth throughout the game.
TCU loaded the bases in the second inning, but the Red Raiders drew first blood an inning later, in the bottom of the third. With two outs, Tanner Gardner singled up the middle. Then Cory Raley doubled down the left field line. Gardner was able to beat the throw to the plate thanks to a fielding error in left field.
The Frogs took advantage of a Texas Tech error to tie the game in the fourth. Elliott Barzilli walked, then stole second. Dane Steinhagen hit a grounder to second, which resulted in an error that allowed Barzilli to reach third. Ryan Merrill then drove him in with a sacrifice fly to left one at-bat later.
Cam Warner opened the 2016 CWS home run tally with a solo shot to the left field bullpen to give TCU a 2-1 lead in the fifth.
The lead was short lived, as Texas Tech knotted it up again in the bottom of the fifth. Tyler Floyd walked, and Gardner drove him in with an RBI double down the right field line. The Red Raiders had runners on second and third with one out, but Raley popped up to first base, and TCU reliever Brian Trieglaff struck out Neslony to end the threat.
The teams were deadlocked through the sixth and seventh until Texas Tech broke through in the eighth. Raley singled on a hard grounder to short. Hunter Hargrove hit a grounder down the left field line to score Raley.
Baker led the Horned Frogs with two hits and three RBI. Reliever Ryan Burnett (3-1) earned the win when he came in for the final out of the eighth inning. His successor Durbin Feltman earned the save. Starter Jared Janczak gave up one earned run and struck out eight in his 4 2/3 innings of work.
Three Red Raiders led the team with two hits each. Robert Dugger (6-1) took the loss. Starter Steven Gingery nearly matched his counterpart, going 4 1/3 with one earned run and two strikeouts.
TCU (48-16) advances to meet the winner of Coastal Carolina-Florida on Tuesday at 8 p.m. central. Texas Tech (46-19) faces the loser of the same matchup in an elimination game Tuesday at 4 p.m.
