After an offensive explosion en route to a 12-0 victory on Friday, TCU split the doubleheader with Kansas State, winning 7-4 in game one and falling 6-3 in game two.
A six-run fourth inning propelled the Frogs to a victory in game one. Kansas State applied the pressure in the first inning loading up the bases with no outs. Kaelen Culpepper reached on a fielder's choice to drive in the first run of the game. A sac fly from Danniel Rivera made it 2-0 Wildcats.
The Frogs got one of those runs back in the bottom of the inning as Anthony Silva scored on a wild pitch. TCU found themselves trailing 3-1 in the fourth but the momentum changed in a hurry. A two-run double from Jack Arthur tied the game and Peyton Chatagnier broke the tie with a RBI single.
They weren't done yet as Karson Bowen beat out a ground ball to make it 4-3, and Chatagnier scored on a throwing error by the catcher Raphael Pelletier. The inning was capped off by a RBI double from Logan Maxwell.
Louis Rodriguez got the start, going three innings and giving up five hits on three earned runs, but it was Ben Abeldt who was the x-factor in this game. He threw four innings of scoreless baseball, not allowing a walk and striking out four. It was a fantastic performance from the sophomore, who seems to be finding his footing as of late. It was his longest outing of the season, and he hasn't allowed a run in 10 consecutive appearances.
Unfortunately, things didn't go as well in game two which saw the Horned Frogs fall 6-3. Debuting their Ranas Cornudas jerseys, TCU found themselves trailing 6-0 through the top of the fifth. A leadoff homer from Brendan Jones set the tone early. Culpepper had a monster game as he went 2-4 with four RBIs. He lifted a two-run home run over the left field wall in the third inning to make it 4-0 and hit a two-run double in the fifth to make it 6-0.
TCU was hitless through four innings but Luke Boyers broke it up with a bunt single. That led to two runs in the inning courtesy of a triple from Athur and a sac fly from Ryder Robinson. On the pitching side, Zack Morris was the standout delivering six strikeouts through 3.2 innings and didn't allow a run.
While TCU settled with a split on Saturday, they picked up a massive series win. This season hasn't gone the way fans have hoped but there is still time to salvage this season. They move to 26-16 and 10-14 in conference play. They're 11th in the Big 12 but will have a chance to pass up Baylor next weekend.
More must-reads:
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!