TCU pitching falters late against Kansas in Big 12 first round

TCU was no match for Kansas on the mound Wednesday in the first round of the Big 12 tournament, as coach Jim Schlossnagle made clear.

“I thought their pitching was every single thing that we want our pitching to be and everything our pitching hasn’t been. In every sense of the word,” he said after the Horned Frogs’ 7-3 loss at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark.

Kansas struck for four runs against the TCU bullpen in the eighth inning after Austen Wade’s double had tied the game 3-3.

Sean Wymer’s leadoff walk, wild pitch and two infield hits set up the Kansas eighth, and three inherited runners scored against Cal Coughlin, who also threw a wild pitch, putting two runners in scoring position.

“Obviously, Wymer’s has been great for us all year — he just had a bad day today. But we got out-pitched,” Schlossnagle said. “You do that too many times, you’re gong to be having barbecues and packing up lockers.”

TCU (39-15) faces an elimination game at 12:30 p.m. Thursday against Texas or Oklahoma.

Nick Lodolo started for TCU and gave up a three-run second inning, but was unscored on otherwise.

Still, his one bad inning proved costly.

Schlossnagle lamented an 0-2 pitch from Lodolo that resulted in a triple by Matt McLaughlin that tied the game 2-2 in that inning. A two-out single gave the Jayhawks (30-26) a 3-2 lead that they held behind starting pitcher Taylor Turski until the seventh inning.

“Nick’s had moments of greatness for us this year, and he’s going to have moments of greatness again. But he’s learning, too,” Schlossnagle said.

Zach Humphreys’ two-run triple in the second inning gave TCU a 2-0 lead, and Wade singled to lead off the third inning. But Turski retired the next nine hitters and went 6  1/3 innings.

In March, Turski allowed two hits in the first six innings of a start at TCU.

“They had a guy that pitched really well today, and we didn’t do a good job of making adjustments,” Wade said. “But I’m confident in one through nine, and all of our guys, whoever comes off the bench, is going to swing the bat well.

“Today was just one of those days that we didn’t have it. Usually, late in games, we’re able to put good swings on baseballs and dive back into the game. But today was one of those days we didn’t have it.”

This story was originally published May 24, 2017 at 9:49 PM with the headline "TCU pitching falters late against Kansas in Big 12 first round."