6-5 gives WVU game over TCU

TCU Houston 36-13 victory

By Brandie Davidson

MORGANTOWN, W. Va. –  West Virginia homered twice in the ninth and scored three times to steal a 6-5 victory over TCU on Sunday at Monongalia County Ballpark. In the loss, Jake Guenther homered twice for the Horned Frogs.

An error on what would have been the final out of the game proved costly as Darius Hill delivered on a 3-2 pitch with a walk-off, two-run home run. Prior to Hill’s heroics, Kevin Brophy hit a solo home run to pull the Mountaineers within one, 5-4.

TCU opened the scoring in the first. Jake Guenther drew a walk and moved to third on an Austin Henry base hit. Johnny Rizer grounded out to drive in Guenther for a 1-0 lead.

West Virginia tied the game with an unearned run in the third. The first two hitters reached on a single and error. Brandon Williamson retired the next three, but a ground out for the second out tied the game.

The Frogs put up a three spot in the sixth as all nine batters came to the plate. Guenther led off the inning with his first home run of the game to make it a 2-1 game. Rizer and Alex Isola reached on one-out singles. Conner Shepherd doubled to push the lead to 3-1. Bobby Goodloe made it 4-1 with a bases-loaded single.

A pair of two-out runs in the seventh pulled West Virginia within one, 4-3. Augie Mihlbauer came on with the tying run at third and got the final out of the inning.

Guenther’s second home run of the game in the ninth made it a 5-3 game.

Williamson started and went six inning. He allowed three runs (two earned) on five hits, walked three and struck out five. Marcelo Perez (3-2) took the loss, giving up three runs (one earned) in 1 2/3 innings.

With the 6-5 loss, TCU falls to 26-20 overall and 8-10 in Big 12 play. The Horned Frogs return home for a four-game homestand starting Friday night against Kansas. First pitch against the Jayhawks is set for 6:30 p.m.