FORT WORTH, Texas – The West Virginia University baseball team suffered a 10-6 loss at No. 7 TCU in the series opener on Friday night in Fort Worth, Texas.
The Mountaineers (10-5, 0-1 Big 12) jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning and extended the advantage to 3-0 and at 6-3, but the Horned Frogs (14-3, 1-0) rallied late with seven runs in the eighth inning.
WVU scored six runs on nine hits with two errors, while TCU recorded 10 runs on 11 hits with three errors.
Junior starter Chad Donato pitched into the sixth inning. In 5.0 strong innings of work, he held TCU to three runs, two earned, on six hits with nine strikeouts and one walk.
The Mountaineers produced a balanced offensive attack, with seven players contributing WVU’s nine hits. Junior first baseman Jackson Cramer hit his second home run of the season in the third inning and had two hits and scored two runs.
Sophomore designated hitter Shaun Corso and freshman left fielder Kyle Gray both drove in a team-high-tying two runs. Cramer was joined by sophomore third baseman Kyle Davis with two hits and an RBI.
WVU wasted no time getting on the board with a pair of runs in the first inning, quieting the Lupton Stadium crowd of 4,379. As they have done many times this season, the Mountaineers took advantage of a TCU error. With a runner on first and two outs, Cramer reached on a fielding error by the TCU shortstop. Two pitches later, Corso drove both runners home with a double.
After Donato retired the first six TCU batters in order, West Virginia extended its lead to 3-0 in the top of the third inning thanks to Cramer’s 1-out home run that sailed 405 feet over the right field fence. It was his second homer of the year and 11th of his career.
Donato allowed his first hit of the game in the third and allowed two runners to reach with two outs in the fourth, but swinging strikeouts ended both innings.
In the fifth, TCU tied the game at 3-3. The Horned Frogs took advantage of a WVU fielding error and recorded three hits, including back-to-back doubles, to score three runs.
The Mountaineers wasted no time in answering back though, with three runs of their own in the top of the sixth inning. A leadoff walk to junior catcher Ray Guerrini was followed by a single from senior center fielder KC Huth. With Guerrini on third, Huth got caught in a rundown but managed to elude a tag between first and second to make it safely to second base.
That’s when Gray double to the wall in center field to bring home Guerrini and Huth. With two outs and Gray on third, Davis singled home Gray.
After giving up a leadoff double in the bottom of the sixth inning, sophomore right-hander Conner Dotson came in and got the next three outs to prevent any TCU damage.
Dotson followed with a scoreless seventh before TCU’s seven-run eighth inning. He faced the first two batters, both of whom scored. In 2.0 innings, Dotson allowed two runs on two hits with a strikeout and a walk.
Freshman righty Michael Grove allowed the final five runs of the eighth inning and suffered the loss, his second of the season. TCU scored seven runs on four hits to complete the comeback in the eighth. The Horned Frogs hit a home run and took advantage of four walks.
The series continues at Lupton Stadium on Saturday, with first pitch moved an hour earlier to 4 p.m. ET/3 p.m. CT. The series concludes on Sunday at 2 p.m. ET/1 p.m. CT. On the radio, fans can listen online at
WVUsports.com or catch the broadcast on the TuneIn Radio App and the Mountaineer Gameday App. Fans can also listen to the Mountaineer Sports Network from IMG on various affiliates throughout the state. A live video stream and live stats will be available at
GoFrogs.com. Additional updates and notes from Fort Worth, Texas, can be found on social media by following and connecting with the team at @WVUBaseball on
Twitter,
Facebook and
Instagram.
NOTES: WVU falls to 10-5 on the year and 0-1 in Big 12 play … WVU scored two runs in the first inning, the fourth time this year the Mountaineers scored in the opening inning and the 10th time they scored first … Junior Jackson Cramer reached on an error in the first inning, extending his reached base streak to a team-high 35 games … Sophomore Shaun Corso extended his hit streak to a career-high-tying five games with a two-RBI double in the first inning, and now has six RBIs in the last two games … Cramer belted his second home run of the season and 11th of his career with a 405-foot shot in the third inning … Sophomore Kyle Davis’ sixth-inning, RBI single extended his hitting streak to a career-high-tying and team-high 13 games and was his 10th RBI of the game … Junior Chad Donato got the start and pitched 5.0 innings, allowing three runs, two earned, on six hits with nine strikeouts and one walk … Freshman Darius Hill notched his team-leading 20th hit of the season.
Season and single game tickets for the 2016 WVU baseball season are on sale now. Fans can join the excitement of WVU baseball and contribute to the home field advantage at Monongalia County Ballpark by calling 1-800-WVU GAME, purchasing tickets at
WVUGAME.com or visiting the Mountaineer Ticket Office at the WVU Coliseum. More information on season tickets and the 30-game home schedule can be found at
WVUsports.com, while single game ticket information is available
here.
