June 3, 2007

Box Score | Quotes

HOUSTON, Texas -- Second-seeded and 16^th-ranked TCU erupted for seven runs in the top of the ninth inning and rallied to defeat third-seeded Baylor 10-5 in Sunday's elimination game at the NCAA Houston Regional, hosted by Rice University at Reckling Park.

Baylor (35-27) concludes its 2007 season, failing to reach the championship game of a regional in which it participated for the first time since going 0-2 in 2000. TCU (48-13) advances to the championship round of the Houston Regional and will face top-seeded and second-ranked Rice later Sunday night. The Horned Frogs must beat the Owls twice.

The Bears led 5-3 entering the top of the ninth, but Ben Carruthers started the rally with a leadoff single to left that snapped a streak of 13 consecutive batters retired for Baylor reliever Randall Linebaugh. Closer Nick Cassavechia entered the game and hit the first batter he faced put runners at first and second with no outs.

After Clint Arnold's sacrifice bunt pushed the runners to second and third, Steven Trout delivered a single through the right side that proved to be the turning point in the game. Carruthers scored from third with ease, but Baylor right fielder Paul Miles throw home was in time to get pinch runner Donald Furrow. However, Furrow's foot kicked Baylor catcher Matt Czimskey's glove off his hand on the tag; Czimskey's glove sailed down the first-base line and the ball landed in the first-base dugout, allowing Trout to reach third base.

Baylor then intentionally walked Andrew Walker to put runners on the corners with one out. Austin Adams followed with a seeing-eye single through the left side, giving the Horned Frogs a 6-5 lead. Matt Vern then popped out and Bryan Kervin walked to load the bases. Matt McGuirk, a defensive replacement in right field to start the bottom of the eighth, followed with an opposite-field grand slam to left.

Ben Booker gave Baylor a two-out single to left in the bottom of the ninth, but Raynor Campbell fouled out to end the game.

It was just the fourth time since the start of the 2004 season that Baylor lost when leading after eight innings; the Bears were 27-1 in such situations this season prior to Sunday's game and 113-4 over the past four seasons.

TCU built a 3-0 lead with two runs in the first and a solo spot in the second. That drove Baylor starter Kendal Volz from the game after only 1.2 innings, in which he allowed three runs on five hits and two walks with two strikeouts.

From there, Linebaugh took control of the game. Entering the ninth, he had allowed only one hit and two walks with six strikeouts over 6.1 innings. His strikeout total matched his season high and was a career high in a relief outing.

With Linebaugh holding the TCU offense at bay, the Bears' bats began to chip away at the deficit. Consecutive two-out RBI doubles from Dustin Dickerson and Matt Sodolak pulled Baylor to within one run at 3-2 in the bottom of the fourth. Chase Gerdes tied the game with an RBI groundout in the bottom of the fifth, and Beamer Weems followed with an RBI single up the middle.

Campbell pushed Baylor's lead to 5-3 with a seventh-inning solo home run down the line in left that was estimated at 425 feet. However, that was the end of the scoring for Baylor.

Cassavechia (6-2) suffered the loss, blowing a save for only the third time in 14 opportunities this season. He was touched for six runs on three hits and two walks with one strikeout in 1.0 inning. McGuirk's home run was just third round-tripper and only the sixth extra-base hit allowed by Cassavechia in 52.0 innings this season.

TCU starter Chance Corgan allowed four runs on nine hits and two walks with four strikeouts over 5.0 innings. Taylor Cragin (2-0) allowed one run on three hits and no walks with four strikeouts over the game's final 4.0 innings to earn the victory.

Baylor earned its ninth NCAA Regional appearance since 1998; Baylor is one of only 15 Division I programs with at least nine appearances in that 10-year span. The Bears also reached 35 wins for the ninth time in head coach Steve Smith's 13-year tenure.