Jayhawks Outlast No. 1 TCU, 4-3 in 14 Innings
Feb. 20, 2011
FORT WORTH, Texas –
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Junior Zac Elgie’s two-run double in the top of the 14th inning broke a two-all tie, while Colton Murray pitched seven innings of relief to earn his first victory of the season as Kansas took the final game of the three-game series with No. 1 TCU, 4-3 in 14 innings Sunday at Lupton Stadium.
Kansas moves to 1-2 on the season, while the Horned Frogs fall to 2-1.
Elgie and Murray were the two heroes for the Jayhawks Sunday. The junior first baseman broke a 1-1 tie in the fifth inning with a solo home run to left and then broke another tie in the 14th inning with a double to left field.
Jimmy Waters led off the Kansas 14th with a single and moved into scoring position on a walk to Chris Manship. After a sacrifice by Jake Marasco moved both runners into scoring position, Elgie doubled past TCU third baseman Jantzen Witte to give the Jayhawks the lead.
Murray, KU’s junior closer, tossed seven innings of relief, allowing one earned run on seven hits with a walk and six strikeouts. After allowing the tying run to score in the eighth, Murray put up zeros for five straight innings before a solo home run by Joe Weik in the 14th. TCU then loaded the bases with two outs, but the Kansas closer got designated hitter Brandon Rivera looking to end the game.
Overshadowed in the win was the starting performance by sophomore starting pitcher Tanner Poppe. The 6-foot-5 righty held the top-ranked team in the country to one run on three hits with five strikeouts over six innings.
After spotting the Horned Frogs a 1-0 lead, KU tied the game in the third on an RBI single by Casey Lytle. Lytle led KU with three hits in the contest.
KU took a 2-1 lead in the fifth on Elgie’s homer, but TCU tied the game with a run in the eighth. The Horned Frogs tried to take the lead on Jerome Pena’s single up the middle, but Jason Brunansky threw Rivera out at the plate to keep the score 2-2.
The win marks the third season in a row that the Jayhawks have knocked off a top-ranked team. In 2009, KU swept then-No. 1 Texas, while last season the Jayhawks take two-of-three from then-No. 1 LSU.
Kansas will face Creighton in the team’s home opener on Tuesday at 3 p.m. at Hoglund Ballpark.
