TCU Loses to UCLA in CWS

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Created on Sunday, 27 June 2010 16:57

Last Updated on Thursday, 16 May 2013 07:51

Written by Travis Pulver

However, the UCLA Bruins stood in the way.

Prior to Saturday’s game the teams had played twice in Omaha with each team getting a win. The Bruins won the first match-up June 21 behind the powerful pitching of sophomore Garret Cole. Cole struck out thirteen Horned Frogs on the way to a 6-3 victory.

With elimination on the line Friday the talented Matt Purke came through on the mound for TCU in a 6-2 win. Purke went 6 1/3 solid innings giving up 2 earned runs and three hits with 2 walks and striking out 2. He was helped out by three home runs from his teammates, second baseman Jerome Pena, shortstop Taylor Featherston, and catcher Bryan Holaday.

On Saturday though, the powerful hitting of the Bruins put the Horned Frogs in a hole they could not climb out of. TCU got on the board first with another homerun by catcher Bryan Holaday. However, once the Bruins got up to bat in the bottom of the first things went downhill fast or TCU.

Sophomore Kyle Winkler (12-3) had some uncharacteristic issues to start the game when he hit the Bruins lead-off hitter, Beau Amaral. After putting Niko Gallego on base with a single, the Bruins DH, Blair Dunlap gave UCLA the lead with a 3-run homerun.

Winkler was pulled for Paul Gerrish, but Gerrish did not fare much better. He would end up giving up two more runs to the Bruins before the inning was over. Trent Appleby would take over for him in the second inning after UCLA had stretched the lead to 6-1.

By the end of the game, the Horned Frogs would use 6 different pitchers with no one working more than 2 2/3 innings. Only Appleby (who worked the rest of the 2^nd as well as the 3^rd and 4^th) and Greg Holle (who worked the 8^th) did not give up any runs to the Bruins.

On the other hand, the Bruins only used 2 pitchers, starter Trevor Bauer and reliever Dan Klein. Bauer went 8 innings, striking out 13 and giving up 2 earned runs, both homeruns by Bryan Holaday. TCU would score another run after first baseman Matt Curry would get on base in the 4^th due to an error. TCU’s DH, Joe Weik, would hit a sacrifice fly to score the run.

In the end, the Bruin pitching staff was too much or the Horned Frogs as TCU lost 10-3. UCLA will move on to play South Carolina in the best of 3-series to start on Monday, June 28^th.