TCU Baseball: Sun Devils Dominate to a Series Win in Fort Worth

The Horned Frogs fall 12-11 in Sunday’s series finale despite late rally

The TCU Horned Frogs fall to the Arizona State Sun Devils 12-11 in series finale / TCU Baseball on X

The TCU Horned Frogs (14-6, 1-2 Big 12) nearly inspired a comeback but fell 12-11 to the Arizona State Sun Devils (14-6, 2-1 Big 12) in Sunday’s series finale at Lupton Stadium.

TCU Horned Frogs

11

Final

Arizona State Sun Devils

12

With an abbreviated starting rotation for the weekend, freshman Noah Franco earned his first career collegiate start and dazzled on the mound. The left-hander out of Downey, CA pitched 4 ⅓ innings of one-run baseball. He allowed just three hits and fanned five Sun Devil batters.

Franco pitched with the 1-0 lead after the Frogs’ offense scratched home a run in the third when Colton Griffin drew a leadoff walk to begin the inning. The sophomore transfer from Stephen F. Austin stole second before advancing to third on a balk.

Isaac Cadena sent a pitch down the left field line in foul territory where Brandon Compton made the grab for out number one and allowed Griffin to tag from third.

Franco surrendered a run in the fourth inning, though, when he allowed a one-out single followed by a walk. With runners at first and second, Matt King took a single into left field to tie the ballgame at 1-1.

After Franco dazzled on the mound he flexed his muscles in the batter’s box. Cole Cramer kept the fifth inning alive with a two-out single before Franco cranked a two-run homer to center field–his fourth longball of the year.

Shortly after taking the lead, the Frogs surrendered a six-spot in the sixth as Arizona State jumped out in front 7-3.

TCU answered back with a pair in the bottom of the inning when Brody Green doubled in Anthony Silva and Sawyer Strosnider to make it a 7-5 ballgame.

The Sun Devils would go on to put up five runs in the ninth to take a 12-5 lead, before TCU nearly orchestrated a comeback in the bottom of the ninth, but fell one run short 12-11.

Concerns:

Troubling signs for TCU’s bullpen continue as the Frogs have allowed several big innings as of late. Aside from Braeden Sloan’s outstanding performance on Friday night in relief, the Frogs’ bullpen allowed 20 runs on Saturday and 11 on Sunday.

With an abbreviated starting rotation due to an injury sustained by Caedmon Parker, the Frogs have several moving pieces to think about for the near future. 

Bright Spots:

While the Frogs lost the series to Arizona State, Noah Franco remains one of the largest bright spots on the team. Franco continues to play as advertised after going 5-for-10 with five RBIs and two home runs against the Sun Devils, including a dominant 4 ⅓ innings pitched on Sunday where he fanned five.

The Frogs have also seen several role players see more at-bats, including Jack Arthur and Brody Green, who combined to go 6-for-10 with seven RBIs and three extra-base hit.

What’s Next?

For the Frogs, they have now lost back-to-back games after winning seven in a row. They will now travel to Dallas to take on #15 DBU (14-5) in a midweek faceoff on Tuesday.

First pitch is slated for 6:05 p.m. from Horner Ballpark with streaming available on ESPN+ and the radio call available on 88.7 FM KTCU The Choice.

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