The Horned Frogs dropped a three-game set at Oklahoma State to move to 2-7 in conference play.
TCU baseball’s struggles in the Big 12 Conference continued over the weekend, as Payton Tolle’s complete-game shutout on Friday evening helped the Horned Frogs salvage one win in their three-game series loss against Oklahoma State in Stillwater. TCU (17-7, 2-7 Big 12) has lost seven of its nine conference games this season and has fallen out of the top-25 rankings after losing its third straight Big 12 series. The Horned Frogs will return home for a three-game conference series against the Houston Cougars, which begins on Thursday.
Career high for @RolleTolle49! He’s got 13 through eight.
TCU leads 1-0.#FrogballUSA | #GoFrogs pic.twitter.com/KIa1H6JO9u
— TCU Baseball (@TCU_Baseball) March 23, 2024
Friday: TCU 1, Oklahoma State 0
The Horned Frogs tallied their lone run of the game in the top of the second inning, where a deep foulout from Anthony Silva allowed freshman Chase Brunson to cross home plate. On the mound, left-hander Payton Tolle spun a masterpiece for the Horned Frogs, throwing all nine innings while striking out a season-best 15 batters and allowing zero runs on five hits. Tolle walked only three batters and faced 33 batters in the game, totaling 128 pitches.
Saturday: Oklahoma State 6, TCU 2
The Cowboys battered TCU starter Kole Klecker early in the middle game on Saturday, scoring four runs on single and a three-run homer in the bottom of the first inning. Klecker eventually settled in for the Horned Frogs, finishing with seven strikeouts and four runs allowed over three and one-third innings. Right-hander Kyle Ayers and left-hander Ben Hampton each fired two innings of shutout relief, combining for five strikeouts.
No. 100 for @antwansilva1 #FrogballUSA | #GoFrogs pic.twitter.com/CD0zEFODjP
— TCU Baseball (@TCU_Baseball) March 24, 2024
An RBI double from Anthony Silva and an RBI groundout from Peyton Chatagnier led to Horned Frog runs in the seventh and eighth innings. Leading 4-2 entering the bottom of the eighth inning, Oklahoma State sealed its win with an RBI single and a bases-loaded walk to retake a four-run lead. The TCU offense was held to only four hits in Saturday’s loss.
Sunday: Oklahoma State 6, TCU 3
A wild pitch and an RBI double from freshman Ryder Robinson led to runs over the first and second innings that enabled TCU to command a 2-0 lead early in the series finale. The Cowboys answered with an RBI single in the bottom of the second inning, bringing the Horned Frogs within one run before exploding for three runs on two singles and a walk in the bottom of the third inning. Both offenses went quiet until Oklahoma State plated two runs on an RBI single and a wild pitch in the bottom of the seventh inning to go up 6-2.
WHAT A CATCH! @Luke_Boyers with a diving catch to end the third!#FrogballUSA | #GoFrogs pic.twitter.com/Sl9Sa4rzRz
— TCU Baseball (@TCU_Baseball) March 24, 2024
Logan Maxwell delivered an RBI single for the Horned Frogs in the top of the ninth inning, but the four-run deficit was too much to rally back from. Right-hander Louis Rodriguez drew the start for the TCU side, throwing one and two-thirds of shutout baseball before a rain delay forced him off the mound. Left-hander Braeden Sloan took the mound when play resume, allowing three earned runs on four hits over one and two-thirds innings.
Right-hander Zachary Cawyer and left-hander Ben Abeldt held the Oklahoma State offense in check, combining for eight strikeouts and one earned run allowed over the final four and two-thirds innings. Cawyer struck out five batters over three innings of relief work.