CORPUS CHRISTI — No. 19 TCU scored five runs in the first three innings on Sunday and never looked back in sending UTSA to its only loss of the weekend at the Kleberg Bank College Classic, 5-1, on Sunday afternoon.
Three of the first four Roadrunners reached base in the top of the first with John Welborn leading off with a single. RJ Perucki reached two batters later on an error by the Horned Frogs third baseman before Jesse Baker brought Welborn around with a double down the left-field line for a 1-0 lead.
TCU (6-1) wasted no time answering the Roadrunners in the bottom of the opening inning with Derek Odell and Jerrick Suiter giving the Horned Frogs a 2-1 lead on balls that didn’t leave the infield. Odell’s RBI single to shortstop tied the game followed by an run-scoring fielder’s choice by Suiter.
The Roadrunners (5-2) had a chance to regain the lead in the second with the bases loaded, but Perucki lined out to third to end the threat.
The Horned Frogs manufactured two more runs in the bottom of the second to take a 4-1 advantage.
Kyle Bacak provided an insurance run in the third with an RBI single down the left-field line for the final score of the game.
Starting pitcher Tyler Alexander went six innings without giving up an earned run and combined with reliever Trey Teakell to retire the final 16 Roadrunners batters of the game.
The win was TCU head coach Jim Schlossnagle’s 500th career victory.
UTSA begins a nine-game homestand at 3 p.m. on Tuesday against Dallas Baptist (5-2).