Big inning carries TCU to victory; UTA survives after leading 10-1
Third-ranked TCU scored five times in the third inning and three Horned Frogs registered multi-hit games en route to a 6-2 victory over UC Irvine Saturday afternoon at Lupton Stadium.
TCU (7-2) wasted little time getting cleats across home plate as it took advantage of two UCI (6-4) errors in the bottom of the third. Luken Baker gave the Frogs the 2-1 lead with a two-run single to center field.
Josh Watson, Michael Landestoy and A.J. Balta all had RBIs to extend the lead to 5-1.
The Frogs added a two-out run in the fifth. Watson started the two-out rally with a base hit. Landestoy followed with an infield single. Balta picked up his second RBI of the game with a base hit to left center.
On the mound, Nick Lodolo (3-0) was dominant in his six innings of work, allowing two runs (one earned) on seven hits, walking two and striking out a career-high 10 batters.
The TCU bullpen has pitched 22 1/3 scoreless innings spanning the last five games.
The Horned Frogs will look for their first sweep of the season in Sunday's series finale from Lupton Stadium at 1 p.m. on FSSW.
UTA 11, Wright State 10
Will Olson stole the show as he belted a walk-off homer in the 11th inning to lift UTA 11-10 over Wright State and even the weekend series Saturday afternoon at Clay Gould Ballpark.
The victory was the 300th career win for UTA head coach Darin Thomas, who is in his 11th year guiding the Mavericks.
UTA (4-4) appeared in control with a 10-1 lead through five innings. But Wright State scored nine unanswered runs to force extra innings.
Brad Vassar pitched 5 2/3 innings for the Mavs, allowing seven hits and two runs, walking three and striking out three.
Wright State (4-5) took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning, plating a run on two hits and a walk.
The Mavs immediately answered with a solo homer from junior infielder Noah Vaughan. Omar Salinas followed with a walk and was replaced at first on a fielder's choice from Christian Hollie.
The Mavs got multi-hit games from Phil Berthiaume, Easton Johnson, Josh Minjarez, Christian Hollie and Jakob Nunez.
Olson, Minjarez and Noah Vaughan each belted homers.
Raiders starter Zane Collins worked into the fourth inning, retiring nine hitters and allowing six runs on four hits and four walks without a strikeout.
The series will conclude on Sunday at 1 p.m. at Clay Gould Ballpark
This story was originally published March 3, 2018 at 9:23 PM with the headline "Big inning carries TCU to victory; UTA survives after leading 10-1."