TCU carried a late lead into the eighth, but No. 9 West Virginia scored three runs to rally for a 6-4 win in the regular season finale.
TCU baseball had No. 9 West Virginia on the ropes Saturday, but the Horned Frogs couldn’t finish the regular season with a road upset.
West Virginia scored three runs in the eighth inning to rally past TCU 6-4 in the regular season finale, sending the Frogs to 33-20 overall and 17-13 in Big 12 play. TCU will now turn its attention to the Big 12 Tournament in Surprise, Arizona, where it has already secured at least one bye.
The Frogs started fast. Colton Griffin opened the game with a single and scored on Nolan Traeger’s double to give TCU a 1-0 lead. In the third, Cole Cramer reached with a walk before Kyuss Gargett launched an opposite-field home run to stretch the lead to 3-0.
West Virginia answered quickly, scoring twice in the bottom of the third and tying the game with a leadoff homer in the fourth.
TCU punched back in the sixth. Jack Bell singled to start the inning, moved into scoring position and came home when Noah Franco lined a go-ahead single into right center, putting the Frogs ahead 4-3.
That lead held until the eighth, when things unraveled. West Virginia opened the inning with a walk and a hit before a sacrifice bunt moved both runners into scoring position. Two wild pitches flipped the game, giving the Mountaineers a 5-4 lead, and a two-out single added insurance.
Zack James started for TCU, allowing two runs over 2 2/3 innings while striking out four. Mason Brassfield gave the Frogs 2 1/3 scoreless innings with three strikeouts. Tanner Sagouspe took the loss after West Virginia’s late rally.
TCU still had positives. The Frogs homered for the 37th time this season, played error-free defense for the 22nd time and recorded double-digit strikeouts for the 18th time.
Now comes tournament time ... and a chance to reset fast.
Join Our Roundtable Community For Free!
Share your takes, connect with our Roundtable writers, and talk sports with fellow fans. Download the free Roundtable App today and stay closer to the conversation.