TCU scratched across a run in four different innings and held on to eliminate No. 7 Virginia with a 4-3 win on Sunday afternoon at the College World Series. Ben Abledt recorded the final five outs to earn the save. Austin Davis’ eighth inning RBI double proved to be the difference.
Two batters into the game, TCU was in business with runners on the corners and nobody out. Elijah Nunez led off the game with a double and moved to third on a Karson Bowen base knock. Cole Fontenelle hit a sacrifice fly to give the Frogs a 1-0 lead.
Virginia had a similar start to the bottom of the first with a double and a base hit. A Jake Gelof groundout tied the game, but also started a string of 12 straight retired by Sam Stoutenborough to get the game into the fifth inning. Stoutenborough finished the game allowing just a run on two hits in 4 2/3 innings. He walked two and struck out three.
TCU grabbed the lead in the third. Bowen singled with one out and moved to third on a Brayden Taylor double. Fontenelle grounded out to drive in Bowen for a 2-1 lead. Virginia drew a pair of walks in the fifth and had the tying run 90 feet away with two outs. Garrett Wright (3-2) came on and got a ground out to end the inning.
The Horned Frogs opened up a 3-1 lead in the sixth. Anthony Silva singled with one out and eventually scored on a two out base knock from Nunez. TCU responded to a Virginia solo home run in the seventh with a big insurance run in the top of the eight. Silva led off the inning with an infield single. With one out, Austin Davis doubled to center for a 4-2 lead.
With a runner on third and one out in the eighth, Ben Abeldt took over on the mound. He retired five of the six batters he faced to record his second save of the season. His second strikeout of the game left the tying run on second base.
The Horned Frogs live to play another elimination game on Tuesday. TCU will take on Oral Roberts on Tuesday afternoon at 1 PM. The game will be televised on ESPN.
TCU head baseball coach Kirk Saarloos, along with players Austin Davis and Garrett Wright spoke about the win following the game. Video is courtesy of the NCAA.