Baseball: TCU suffers Big 12 sweep against Oklahoma

After earning a nice bounce-back win over No. 19 Dallas Baptist on Tuesday evening, TCU baseball took three steps in the wrong direction over the weekend, suffering a three-game Big 12 Conference sweep at the hands of the Oklahoma Sooners, who knocked the Horned Frogs down to five losses in conference action. TCU (15-5, 1-5 Big 12) will host UT-Arlington on Tuesday before traveling for a Big 12 series against Oklahoma State in Stillwater.

Friday: Oklahoma 7, TCU 3

Freshman Ryder Robinson gave the Horned Frogs a 1-0 lead with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the second inning. Oklahoma surged ahead behind a two-run homer in the top of the fourth inning, but TCU answered after Logan Maxwell laced a two-run single in the bottom of the inning that scored Robinson and fellow freshman Chase Brunson. Oklahoma blew the game open with four runs in the top of the seventh inning, scoring on a trio of RBI singles as well as a fielder’s choice grounder that pushed the Sooners ahead 6-3.

A sacrifice fly led to an insurance run for the Sooners in the top of the eighth inning. TCU was held to six hits in the loss and the Horned Frogs left eight men on base. TCU also squandered a dominant start from left-hander Payton Tolle, who struck out 10 Oklahoma batters over six innings while allowing only two earned runs on three hits. Right-hander Zachary Cawyer (5-1) suffered his first loss of the season, surrendering three earned runs on three hits in only one-third of an inning. Left-hander Ben Abeldt and right-hander Andrew Mosiello each allowed one earned run in relief as well.

Saturday: Oklahoma 7, TCU 5

TCU held a 2-0 lead over the Sooners after Payton Tolle’s RBI groundout and a wild pitch that allowed Logan Maxwell to score in the bottom of the fourth inning. Oklahoma responded in the top of the fifth inning, though, capitalizing on a TCU error to plate one run before a three-run homer put the Sooners ahead 4-2. Trailing 5-2 after Oklahoma tallied one run in the top of the eighth inning, TCU tied the score after Anthony Silva’s two-run single and Karson Bowen’s RBI single in the bottom of the eighth inning.

The Horned Frogs were unable to keep the game even, however, as Oklahoma scratched two runs on a solo shot and an RBI groundout in the top of the ninth inning. Right-hander Kole Klecker turned in a mixed outing on Saturday, throwing four and one-third frames while striking out three batters and allowing three earned runs on five hits. Right-hander Hunter Hodges kept the game close with three and one-thirds of strong relief, striking out five batters while conceding just one earned run. Left-hander Zack Morris took the loss in relief, allowing two earned runs with one walk in only one-third of an inning on the mound.

Sunday: Oklahoma 9, TCU 4

The Sooners held the early lead in the series finale, scoring two runs in the top of the first inning before adding three runs on two singles and an RBI groundout in the top of the fourth inning. A solo blast led to another Oklahoma run in the top of the fifth inning, giving the Sooners a 6-0 advantage before TCU tallied three runs in the bottom of the fifth inning, where Kurtis Byrne belted a three-run blast over the outfield fence. Karson Bowen followed with a solo homer in the bottom of the sixth inning, cutting the Oklahoma lead to 6-4.

The Horned Frogs once again failed to shut down the Sooners in the ninth inning, this time allowing three runs to fall behind 9-4. Left-hander Braeden Sloan started on the mound for TCU, throwing three innings while allowing five runs, three earned, on five hits. The Horned Frogs received a quality relief appearance from right-hander Louis Rodriguez, who struck out one and limited Oklahoma to one earned run on two hits over three and one-third frames. Left-hander Chase Hoover added two-thirds of scoreless relief for the TCU side.