Baseball falls in series finale at No. 5 TCU, 7-1

Sunday, April 26

Fort Worth, Texas

1 p.m.

University of Texas

22-22, 8-10

TCU

34-8, 10-5

Texas

TCU

Baseball falls in series finale at No. 5 TCU, 7-1

04.26.2015 | Baseball

Box Score

Barrera homers, Mayes tosses 5 1/3 in relief

FORT WORTH, Texas -- The Baseball team dropped the series finale against TCU by a score of 7-1 Sunday afternoon at Lupton Stadium.

Tres Barrera provided a solo home run and Ben Johnson went 2-for-4 to lead a Texas offense that outhit TCU eight to seven but was unable to get a big hit with runners in scoring position.

The Longhorns (22-22, 8-10 Big 12) received a quality relief outing from Connor Mayes but couldn't overcome a three-run first inning from the Horned Frogs (34-8, 10-5 Big 12), who completed a sweep with the win.

TCU starting pitcher Alex Young (8-2) was able to come up with big pitches in tight spots, stranding six runners and allowing just one run in six innings of work to pick up the win. Catcher Alex Skoug paced the Frogs offense with a 3-for-4 day that included three runs and two RBIs.

Mayes, who entered the game in the second inning, retired 12 of the first 13 batters he faced and in his 5 1/3 innings allowed two runs on three hits while striking out four. Chad Hollingsworth (3-5) took the loss after allowing the three-run first inning.

In the first, TCU put two runners on that were hit by pitches and Skoug delivered a double off the wall in right field to drive in two. A single past a diving Brooks Marlow put runners on second and third, and a sacrifice fly brought in the third run of the inning.

Barrera got Texas on the board in the fourth when he led off with a solo homer deep to left-center field, cutting the deficit to 3-1. The Horns threatened for more by putting two on with no outs, but Young worked out of it with a strikeout and 5-4-3 double play.

In the fifth, Texas again threatened only to see a double play get TCU out of it. Singles from Taylor Stell and Ben Johnson gave the Horns two on with one out, but Zane Gurwitz lined out to shortstop with the runners moving, and TCU's Keaton Jones stepped on second for the inning-ending double play.

An inning later Michael Cantu and Brooks Marlow provided one-out singles before Young worked out of it with a strikeout and fly out.

TCU added to its lead in the sixth when Skoug doubled and later scored on a sacrifice fly and Elliott Barzilli hit a solo homer. The Horned Frogs completed the scoring with two more runs in the eighth that came as a result of a Texas error.

QUOTES FROM AUGIE GARRIDO

On the game: In the fourth, fifth and sixth innings we had runners on first and second and that's where our opportunities to score runs were. We hit into double plays twice, once when we were stealing third and the shortstop caught a line drive, the other time we didn't get our bunt down and then we hit a ground ball that led to a double play. So the difference in the teams – they had seven hits, we had eight – there were six runs difference because the quality at-bats they took to get runners in scoring position and to score the runners. That was the big separation all weekend long, was the quality at-bats they took with runners in scoring position and the number of runs they scored with productive outs. I've talked about that a lot and we don't do that.

On Connor Mayes' performance: He was outstanding. He was really good. He came in, grabbed the ball and threw it to the mitt with no fear. That's the way he pitched in high school and that's what made him one of the top pitchers in the entire state. So that was a real blessing to see him come through like that.

On if Mayes will move into the starting rotation: I would think so. I feel bad for Chad; he had a tough go of it. He didn't have any secondary pitches. His fastball was ok, but when you're facing this many left-handed hitters and you're right-handed it would be very difficult to beat them with one pitch, even if you could locate it. So I felt really bad for him, but I would definitely see Connor Mayes in the starting rotation.

Series Notes

- Texas came into the game 16-2 when outhitting the opponent but fell despite recording eight hits to TCU's seven.

- Brooks Marlow was charged with an error in the bottom of the eighth inning that snapped a streak of 277 2/3 innings without an error for the senior second baseman. The last miscue had come on March 8 at Stanford.

- With two hits Ben Johnson recorded his 21st multi-hit game of the season which leads the team. Barrera also had his 13th multi-hit game of the season which is tied for second on the team with Bret Boswell. Barrera extended his hitting streak to seven games.

- Johnson led UT at the plate going 6-for-14 (.429) for the weekend. Texas, which batted .278 in the series, had three home runs on the weekend to bring its season total to 30.

- With 5 1/3 innings on Sunday Connor Mayes now stands as the team leader in ERA at 2.17. The freshman has 35 strikeouts to 16 walks in 45 2/3 innings pitched.

- Texas came into the series ranked second in the Big 12 in fielding percentage (.979) and third in ERA (2.99), while TCU led the league in both (.982 and 2.15). For the series, however, Texas fielded just .942 and TCU just .948, while the Horns had a 5.62 ERA and the Frogs a 3.00.