HawgBeat - TCU defeats Arkansas, wins Fayetteville Regional
Arkansas loaded the bases with no outs in the top of the first as the trio of Tavian Josenberger,
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The Arkansas Razorbacks (43-18) saw their season come to an end in a 12-4 loss to the TCU Horned Frogs (40-22) in the Fayetteville Regional final on Monday at Baum-Walker Stadium.
With a 4-3 lead and plenty of momentum entering the bottom of the sixth inning, Arkansas turned to veteran left-hander Zack Morris out of the bullpen. The senior gave up a leadoff single and then after recording his first out, Morris watch TCU nine-hole hitter Austin Davis drive a two-run, go-ahead homer into the left field bullpen.
An RBI single from cleanup batter Cole Fontenelle gave the Horned Frogs a 6-4 lead and they didn't look back. A solo homer in the bottom of the seventh from Kurtis Byrne, plus a two-run double from Fontenelle paired with Byrne's second straight homer in the bottom of the eighth was plenty of insurance for the Horned Frogs.
Arkansas had just three hits on the afternoon and it was 0-8 at the plate with two outs and 1-9 with runners on. TCU had four batters record multiple hits on the afternoon and the Horned Frogs had eight extra-base hits in the contest.
Arkansas loaded the bases with no outs in the top of the first as the trio of Tavian Josenberger, Jace Bohrofen and Jared Wegner all reached via a free pass. An RBI sacrifice fly from Ben McLaughlin scored Josenberger, but that was all the Razorbacks were able to muster up in the frame after the great start.
Adcock ran into some trouble by allowing the first two batters he faced to reach in the bottom half of the first, but he retired the next three batters — two of which went down on strikes — to strand a pair.
After Adcock gave up a leadoff single and hit Anthony Silva with a 1-0 pitch in the top of the second, Arkansas pitching coach Matt Hobbs paid him a visit. Following a sacrifice bunt that moved the runners over, Razorback head coach Dave Van Horn turned things over to left-hander Hagen Smith with just one out down in the second.
Smith got ahead of nine-hole hitter Austin Davis, who took Smith's 0-2 pitch up the middle for a two-run single to give the Horned Frogs a 2-1 advantage. Smith struck out the next two batters to strand Davis.
TCU starter Cam Brown kept the Razorbacks hitless with a 1-2-3 top of the fourth inning and Smith stranded two more Horned Frogs and earned his fifth and sixth strikeouts in the bottom half.
Arkansas finally broke up the no-hitter in a loud way in the top of the fifth. Josenberger led the frame off with a walk and he scored via a 427-foot two-run homer from Bohrofen that hit off the batter's eye in center.
Wegner went back-to-back with Bohrofen on a solo shot to right that put Arkansas up 4-2.
TCU gained a run back on an RBI groundout from Tre Richardson — his 12th run driven in over the past two days — but that was it for the Horned Frogs in the bottom of the fifth.
Morris came on in relief of Smith to start the bottom of the sixth and he gave up a one-out, two-run homer to the nine-hole hitter Davis. The big swing put the Horned Frogs back up, 5-4.
A fielding error by Caleb Cali at second base saved the Horned Frogs from having their third out and they capitalized with an RBI single from Fontenelle that prompted a pitching change from Morris to Arkansas freshman righty Gage Wood, who recorded the third out to get out of the dreaded frame.
In an inning that Arkansas needed to strike back, the Hogs went down in order with Bohrofen and Wegner both striking out.
TCU added an insurance run with a solo homer from Kurtis Byrne in the top of the eighth and Horned Frogs reliever Ben Abeldt faced the minimum in the bottom half of the inning.
Fontenelle's two-run double with one out gave the Horned Frogs a five-run lead in the bottom of the eighth and Van Horn elected to turn to freshman righty Christian Foutch to relieve Wood.
Foutch's first pitch was driven over the wall in center for a two-run home run by Richardson — his fourth in two days. Byrne went back-to-back with Richardson for his second straight homer, which made it 12-4.
Arkansas couldn't spark a comeback in the top of the ninth and its season came to an end in front of its home crowd.
Final Stats
