FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – A trio of runs from No. 5 Arkansas in the sixth inning proved to be enough as the Razorback’s handed TCU a 3-1 loss in the winner’s bracket of the NCAA Fayetteville Regional Saturday night. Zach Humphreys drove in the lone run for the Horned Frogs.
Nick Lodolo (6-6) battled through five innings on the mound. He allowed just one unearned run on four hits. He walked four and struck out six.
He had to make pitches early to keep the game scoreless as the Razorbacks had threats in the fourth and fifth innings. With the bases loaded in the fourth, Lodolo dialed up his fourth strikeout of the game to strand the runners. His sixth strikeout of the contest stranded two more in the fifth.
A lead-off single followed by an error opened the door for Arkansas in the sixth. A one-out single loaded the bases and Casey Opitz lined a single up the middle for a 2-0 lead. A two-out double from Trevor Ezell pushed the lead to 3-0.
TCU capitalized on its lone scoring chance in the contest in the seventh. Austin Henry doubled with one out and moved to third on a Johnny Rizer base hit. Zach Humphreys hit a sacrifice fly to make it a 3-1 ballgame.
Haylen Green gave the Frogs two innings of relief. He fanned three and allowed two runs (one earned) on four hits. Cal Coughlin surrendered one hit and struck out two in 1 1/3 innings of work. Augie Mihlbauer fanned both batters he faced.
With the loss, TCU falls to 33-27 overall. The Horned Frogs will face Central Connecticut State in an elimination game Sunday afternoon at 2.