Eric Doennig (MSU Sports Information) FORT WORTH, Texas – TCU’s Evan Skoug belted a two-run home run in the bottom of the eighth inning to lift the Horned Frogs to a 3-2 victory over Missouri State in the opening game of the Fort Worth Super Regional Saturday evening at Lupton Stadium.
Behind the pitching of Dylan Coleman, the Bears (43-19) took a 2-1 lead into the home half of the eighth, before a one-out walk to Zach Humphreys brought an end to the sophomore right-hander’s night. Skoug caught enough of Jordan Knutson’s 2-1 pitch to lift it over the right-field wall to put the host Horned Frogs for the first time in the game.
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Missouri State threatened in the top of the night, getting a leadoff walk to Alex Jefferson and a one-out, pinch single by Drew Millas to put the potential tying and go-ahead runs on base. But TCU reliever Durbin Feltman got John Privitera to bounce into a 6-4-3 double play to secure his 17th save of the season and move his club to within one victory of its fourth-consecutive trip to the College World Series.
The Bears and Horned Frogs will meet in game two of the Super Regional Sunday at 5 p.m., with MSU need a victory to for a deciding game on Monday.
MSU used the familiar formula of a Jeremy Eierman home run and standout pitching to take an early lead, as the Bears’ sophomore shortstop belted his fourth long ball in five NCAA Championship games to lead off the second inning. His opposite-field shot to right marked the first home run allowed by TCU ace Jared Janczak all season and gave the Bears a 1-0 edge.
Ryan Merrill’s two-out single in the home half of the second plated Josh Watson from second, drawing the Horned Frogs even at 1-1. Coleman and Janczak locked things into place from that point, combining to 20 batters while permitting just eight total hits over the first 6 1/3 innings.
Logan Geha’s one-out double sparked a fifth-inning scoring chance for the Bears, as John Privitera moved the runner to third on a fielder’s choice, before Hunter Steinmetz’s bunt single on a squeeze attempt handed MSU another one-run lead.
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Coleman would retired nine straight TCU hitters from the fifth until his one-out walk to Humphreys in the eighth. Overall, the sophomore struck out 10, walked five and allowed two runs on three hits in his 7 1/3 innings.
Knutson (5-4) shouldered the loss after surrendering the go-ahead run, as the Bears concluded their fifth one-run contest in as many NCAA postseason games.
Sean Wymer (8-4) picked up the win for the Horned Frogs (46-16), holding the Bears hitless over 1.2 innings in relief of Janczak, who fanned 10 and walked one, while allowing two runs on five hits in 6 1/3 innings.
Geha led the MSU offense with a 2-for-3 night, while Nolan Brown paced the Horned Frogs with a 2-for-4 effort.
