TCU pitching returns to form in sweep of Oklahoma
It’s hard to imagine TCU didn’t get everything it wanted out of its weekend series against Oklahoma.
There was a sweep, courtesy of 12-2 and 2-0 victories in a split doubleheader Saturday at Lupton Stadium to go along with Friday’s 11-3 victory.
There were three quality starts — Luken Baker, Dalton Horton and Brian Howard each went six or more innings and allowed no more than three runs.
And freshman right-hander Durbin Feltman had to get a four-out save, a first.
Added up, it meant the Horned Frogs (27-8, 9-3) gained 1 1/2 games in the Big 12 standings and is two games back on leader Texas Tech, which played out of conference.
It was just good to see him out there, not worrying about his arm and healthy and with energy.
TCU coach Jim Schlossnagle
TCU hit .374 with two home runs and four doubles in outscoring Oklahoma 25-5 in the series — right fielder Austen Wade hit his first home run, and catcher Evan Skoug drove in six runs — but coach Jim Schlossnagle noticed the pitching.
He called it the best part of the weekend.
“It’s easy to get drunk with the offense, which is fun during the regular season, but it’s not going to get us where we want to go,” Schlossnagle said. “It’ll be part of it, but we’re going to have to pitch, and it was good to see that this weekend.”
TCU starters Dalton Horton (6-0) and Brian Howard (5-1) combined to go 13 innings and allow two runs. The Horned Frogs had an 0.72 ERA in the series with a .193 batting average against.
Feltman’s 97 mph fastball struck out Cade Harris with the bases loaded in the eighth to protect a 1-0 lead, and after a leadoff double and a walk in the ninth with a 2-0 lead, Feltman got a 5-4-3 double play and a strikeout looking against Austin O’Brien to close the sweep.
It was Feltman’s second save.
“He’s fun to watch, isn’t he?” Howard said. “That fastball runs up there 98 every once in a while. He’s got a little bit of Riley Ferrell in him. We really trust him late in games. Never a doubt. We had no doubt he was going to get it done.”
Howard pitched seven shutout innings on only 74 pitches, facing the minimum through 6 2/3 innings as he appeared to benefit from a skipped turn last week at Kansas because of arm soreness.
“He kept filling up the bottom of the strike zone,” Schlossnagle said. “His overhand breaking ball was going pretty good. His cutter wasn’t as good as it was in the past, but it was good enough. It was just good to see him out there, not worrying about his arm and healthy and with energy.”
Two-out singles from Josh Watson, Dane Steinhagen and Connor Wanhanen gave TCU a 1-0 lead in the fifth off OU starter Jake Elliott, who had faced the minimum through 4 2/3 innings. A second run scored in the eighth inning on a passed ball.
In Saturday’s first game, Wade hit his first home run, drove in two runs and reached base his first four times.
The TCU leadoff hitter connected on a 3-1 pitch to lead off the fifth inning, putting the ball behind right field for a 6-1 lead. He also singled and scored in the first and sixth innings and walked and scored in the third.
Baker also had three hits, driving in three runs. His two-run single in the fifth inning made it 8-1.
Pinch hitter Ryan Johnson gave TCU a 12-2 lead in the seventh inning to trigger the run rule.
“It’s just crazy how the game is,” Schlossnagle said. “We score all those runs in the first game, and you knew for sure, especially with the way the wind was blowing, it was going to be a tight one. Really proud of our team the way they hung in there in the second game.”
Horton went six innings for the victory in the opener, allowing an earned run on seven hits and walk. He struck out one in 82 pitches.
Carlos Mendez: 817-390-7760, @calexmendez
This story was originally published April 16, 2016 at 1:58 PM with the headline "TCU pitching returns to form in sweep of Oklahoma."