Bats, bullpen carry TCU to rout of Abilene Christian in home opener
TCU baseball couldn’t have asked for much more in its home opener.
The bats came alive and the Frogs took advantage of errors by Abilene Christian. The pitching staff pieced it together after starter Haylen Green couldn’t get through four innings. In the end, TCU rolled to a 12-4 victory over Abilene Christian on a chilly Wednesday night at Lupton Stadium.
All it took was a little bit, err a lot of, time -- 3 hours, 53 minutes in 49-degree weather.
But the Frogs are off to a 3-1 start to the season, including an upset of top-ranked Vanderbilt last weekend in Scottsdale, Arizona. They’ll host a three-game series against Grand Canyon University this weekend.
TCU goes into it feeling good, outscoring its past three opponents by a combined 31-10.
Catcher Alex Isola highlighted the offensive output Wednesday with a three-run, two-out home run in the sixth. And freshman reliever Spencer Arrighetti threw 1 1/3 scoreless innings to earn his first win.
Abilene Christian jumped out to an early 1-0 lead on a solo shot by shortstop Robert Salazar, a Birdville product, but Salazar had what proved to be a costly error in the bottom half.
With two outs, Salazar had an errant throw on a grounder by TCU third baseman Bobby Goodloe. That allowed a run to score and the Frogs continued to take advantage.
Abilene Christian right-hander Brock Barger hit the next two batters to load the bases, and Josh Watson and Austin Henry each delivered two-run singles to make it a 5-1 game.
Barger didn’t make it through two innings, going just 1 2/3 innings. All five runs charged to him were unearned.
Abilene Christian got back in it with two unearned runs in the top of the fourth, including an RBI single by Mansfield Legacy product Dalton Dunn.
But TCU answered with one run in the bottom of the fourth and then scored four in the sixth. Hunter Wolfe started the sixth with a single, and then Porter Brown reached on an error. The Frogs, much like they did in the second, capitalized on the error.
TCU scored one run on a passed ball. Then, with two outs and two on, Isola sent a pitch over the left-center field fence to break the game open. Isola hit a team-leading eight home runs at Yavapai College last season before joining TCU.
TCU scored two more runs on a two-run double by Wolfe in the seventh.
Green went 3 2/3 innings, allowing three runs (one earned) on three hits. The left-hander struck out four and walked four in his season debut.
Arrighetti, Dalton Brown, Augie Mihlbauer, James Notary, Dawson Barr and Cal Coughlin were the six relievers who combined to allow one unearned run in the final 5 1/3 innings.
