Killer Frogs

TCU Baseball: Lupton Magic Strikes Again

TCU overcomes a 6-run deficit to win its home opener against FGCU.

Carson Wersal

TCU Baseball: Lupton Magic Strikes Again
TCU Baseball: Lupton Magic Strikes Again /

TCU's 2024 home opener was one for the record books, infused with Lupton Magic and a touch of wind. The game concluded in peculiar fashion as TCU secured a walk-off victory, claiming the first game of the three-game series against Florida Gulf Coast University due to a walk-off strikeout. Just like the Horned Frogs drew it up. 

Peyton Chatagnier walks it off for the Frogs with some heads-up baserunning.  :: TCU Baseball Twitter/X

To start the game, Payton Tolle looked untouchable in his first two innings of work. The lefty had 5 Ks through 6 batters and looked to be finding his groove early in his career as a Horned Frog. Disaster struck in the 3rd, though, as FGCU would go on to score four runs in the 3rd inning off two walks, two singles, and a double. After the 3rd inning crooked number, Tolle would DH for the rest of the game until being pinch run for in the 8th inning. 

After Tolle left the game, the Frogs found themselves in a tougher spot as the Eagles piled on three runs in the 4th inning and another two runs in the 6th, widening the score gap to 9-3. Ian Farrow's homer accounted for all three runs in the 4th inning, while Mac Moise's homerun accounted for 2 of the runs scored in the 6th inning.

Louis Rodriguez started the 7th inning but was quickly relieved after giving two free passes to FGCU courtesy of a hit-by-pitch and a walk. With two runners on and nobody out, Zachary Cawyer entered the ballgame. After working out of a jam, leaving three runners stranded, the Horned Frogs returned with a vengeance. Both Anthony Silva and Chase Brunson homered, cutting into the 6-run deficit, making it 9-5.

Cawyer was automatic the rest of the game on the pitching side of things, tossing 3.0 scoreless innings with only one hit allowed. He also earned the first Frog win of the season, along with his dominant performance.

Silva led the Frogs on the hitting side of things by picking up right where he left off in the 2023 season. The shortstop went 4 for 5 with a homerun totaling 4 RBIs, catapulting the TCU offense back into the game on multiple occasions. Brunson, a true freshman, went 2/3 at the plate, driving in 2 RBIs late in the game to help the offense as well. 

In the bottom of the 9th, with the score tied at 9-9, transfer from Ole Miss, Peyton Chatagnier led things off with a walk. Lucas Hartman responded well for the Eagles by getting Logan Maxwell to strike out and Kurtis Byrne to fly out. Chatagnier stole second, putting the winning run in scoring position. Jack Arthur then struck out swinging on a wild pitch, putting the ball in play. Due to a wild throw both to first base and then to home plate, Chatagnier slid into home, resulting in a TCU win. 

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Carson Wersal
CARSON WERSAL

Carson is a student currently at TCU studying journalism with a sports focus. He graduated from Aledo High School and played baseball for Frank Phillips College before attending TCU in 2022. Carson follows local Fort Worth sports but is excited to start writing about TCU sports. 

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