USC Baseball Takes No. 5 TCU Into Extras, But Falls 9-8

Friday, March 1

Arlington , Texas

12:00 PM

USC

2-7

TCU

10-0

USC

TCU

USC Baseball Takes No. 5 TCU Into Extras, But Falls 9-8

March 01, 2024 | Baseball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

ARLINGTON, Texas – The USC baseball team took No. 5 TCU to the wire in the opening game at Globe Life Field on Friday, but came up just short in 11 innings, falling 9-8 to the unbeaten Horned Frogs.

The game saw the lead change 6 times and lasted over four and a half hours, with TCU getting a walkoff single in the 11^th. The Trojans fall to 2-7, while TCU moves to 10-0.

The back-and-forth contest started with USC jumping ahead in the second thanks to a leadoff-double by Kevin Takeuchi and an RBI-single from Ethan Hedges. A bases-loaded balk in the third made it 2-0 Trojans. After a sac fly in the third, TCU took the lead with two in the fourth, getting a pair of RBI-singles.

Hedges stayed hot, tying the game with a single in the fifth and then Ryan Jackson doubled home two runs in the sixth to put the Trojans back in front. The lead was short-lived, however, as the Frogs scored three in the bottom half of the inning.

USC again found some magic in the ninth, tying the game on a wild pitch and then adding two more runs on a bases-loaded walk and a fielding error. TCU again had the answer, scoring two runs to even the game and loading the bases with no outs. Josh Blum came out of the bullpen for USC and struck out the next three batters to push the game into extra innings.

The Trojans got runners on in both the 10^th and 11^th innings, but couldn't scratch across a run. Sam Myers would single home the game-winner in the 11^th for TCU.

TOP PERFORMERS

Ethan Hedges: 2-for-6, 2 RBI
Ryan Jackson: 2-for-5, 2 RBI
Josh Blum: 2.0 IP, 0R, 0H, 0BB, 5K

COMING UP
USC continues play at the Kubota College Baseball Series on Saturday against No. 7 Texas A&M and then closes things out against TCU on Sunday.