Despite Marriott Gem, Baylor Baseball Drops Series Opener to TCU, 7-1
WACO, Texas – Baylor baseball (20-24, 9-13) extended its conference losing streak to six games with a 7-1 loss to TCU (27-16, 11-14) in the series opener Friday night at Baylor Ballpark.
Veteran righty Mason Marriott (Jr.) tossed a career-high eight innings and allowed just four hits and two earned runs while striking out five on 111 pitches. On the season, the Tomball native leads the team with eight starts of at least five innings pitched while surrendering three or fewer earned runs.
Baylor’s batting order, however, struggled in its limited opportunities to take advantage of the Horned Frogs ace, Payton Tolle (Jr.). The six-foot-six lefty got out of multiple jams, struck out eight and allowed just three base knocks on 117 pitches across 6.1 frames.
In the loss, the Bears collected a season-low in hits (4) during conference play yet still had multiple chances to tie or take the lead but went 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position on the evening.
Right-handed pitcher Patrick Hail (RJr.) entered in relief of Marriott in the ninth and issued three straight free passes to load the bases. After walking in a run, Hail surrendered a grand slam to left fielder Jack Arthur (Jr.) to ice the TCU victory and put Marriott’s excellent outing to waste.
“I thought Mason Marriott was fantastic,” head coach Mitch Thompson said postgame. “I thought it was a true pitcher’s duel and those two guys were going head-to-head and were both really good. [TCU] got one more run across than we had at that point in time. It was a really good ballgame. I thought our guys played hard; I thought our guys played well. We just couldn’t get enough hits against [Tolle].”
With runners on first and second base in the second inning, shortstop Tyriq Kemp (Jr.) lined a two-out RBI single into center field to give the Bears an early 1-0 lead. Later in the contest, Baylor had runners in scoring position in the third, fifth and seventh innings but came away empty-handed.
“We had a couple of opportunities, but there were not very many,” Thompson said. “[Tolle] didn’t offer us very many [chances]. Our guys were trying as hard as they could – [TCU] was trying as hard as they could, but we came up short.”
TCU’s first hit of the evening came in the form of a solo shot from center fielder Sam Myers (Fr.) in the fourth off Marriott. It was Myers’ second home run of the season and the sixth long ball Marriott has surrendered this season.
In the fifth, the Horned Frogs gained their first lead, 2-1, when Arthur roped a stand-up triple off the center field wall and second baseman Ryder Robinson (Fr.) plated the run with an RBI sacrifice fly in the following at-bat.
Once Baylor finally got into TCU’s bullpen, third baseman Hunter Teplanszky (Jr.) led off the eighth with an infield single, but designated hitter Mason Greer (Sr.) grounded into a 4-6-3 double play to kill the Bears' last hope at an attempted comeback victory.
Final: TCU 7, Baylor 1
W: Payton Tolle (6-3) L: Mason Marriott (3-5) S: Ben Abeldt (5)
POTG: Mason Marriott (8 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 2 R, 2 BB, 5 K, HBP, 27 BF, 111 pitches)
WHAT’S NEXT
Baylor baseball (20-24, 9-13) will continue its series against TCU (27-19, 11-14) on Saturday at 1 p.m. at Baylor Ballpark.