Weather leaves TCU one out away from doubleheader sweep
First thing Sunday, TCU has to get one out.
After what the bullpen did Saturday — escaping three separate two-on/nobody-out jams — that’s not asking too much.
Trey Teakell and Riley Ferrell combined for three shutout innings to finish a 1-0 victory in Game 1 of a doubleheader against Santa Clara at Lupton Stadium, and Brian Trieglaff got all but the last out of what would have been a four-inning save in Game 2.
A lightning alarm sounded with Trieglaff holding a 1-1 count against Santa Clara’s T.J. Braff with two outs and nobody on in the ninth inning and TCU leading 6-1, forcing the teams to take cover.
With the field tarped and storms approaching, the game was suspended. It will resume at 12:30 p.m. Sunday, and Game 3 will follow 30 minutes later. Drew Gooch will likely get that last out for TCU.
“Same focus, same routine as every other Sunday,” said designated hitter Connor Wanhanen, whose two-run triple highlighted a four-run second in Game 2. “Just one extra out than we normally have to get.”
The Frogs (28-8) collected the required 27 outs in Game 1 behind six strong innings from Preston Morrison (8-1), who struck out six and walked two in extending his scoreless streak to 15 innings.
He said he stepped back and re-evaluated his approach after allowing five runs in 4 1/3 innings at Texas Tech two weeks ago. Last week, he threw a four-hit shutout at Kansas State.
“For me, it was all mental,” he said. “I added some meditation, added some more aggression when I’m on the mound.
“It’s been working out for me. I’m more satisfied with the pitches I’ve been throwing. Also, not letting anything get to me — if I make a good pitch and somebody gets a hit, that’s just baseball; it’s just going to happen.”
It happened in the seventh inning. Morrison, pitching with a 1-0 lead since Dane Steinhagen’s RBI single in the third, gave up a double and hit a batter to start the inning.
But Teakell entered and struck out the 6-7-8 hitters.
“Everything changed when Teakell came in the game,” TCU coach Jim Schlossnagle said. “As he normally does, he changes the momentum of the game with how he throws strikes and throws fast. He’s a good athlete. That was a big point in the whole day.”
Teakell pitched a shutout eighth then handed off to Ferrell, who got his 10th save, although not without adventure. Ferrell walked the first two hitters before collecting himself for the three outs on a popped-up bunt and two strikeouts.
In Game 2, Trieglaff inherited his own two-on/nobody-out situation after starter Mitchell Traver gave up a walk and a hit to start the sixth.
Trieglaff, a sophomore right-hander from Houston, got a fly out and two strikeouts to end the inning and preserve the Horned Frogs’ 5-1 lead — and Traver’s shot at his sixth win.
All that’s needed now is one more out.
Carlos Mendez, 817-390-7760
This story was originally published April 18, 2015 at 10:14 PM with the headline "Weather leaves TCU one out away from doubleheader sweep."