By Otis Kirk
FAYETTEVILLE -- Arkansas saw its season come to an end on Monday as they fell to TCU 12-4 at the Fayetteville Regional before 10,475 fans.
The Razorbacks were a No. 3 national seed going into the regional. However, it was TCU that showed out in Fayetteville. One day after sending Arkansas to the loser's bracket 20-5 they ended the Arkansas season. Dave Van Horn saw Arkansas (43-18) come up short of hosting a super regional next weekend.
"The first thing, I want to congratulate TCU," Van Horn said. "They were a wrecking crew, man. They were really good this weekend.
"We knew when we saw they were coming to us what we were getting into from everything we had heard. It was true, they’re really hot and they’re really tough to beat, and we’d already seen them obviously. But whatever was going on in the middle of the season, they fixed it. They’re awfully good."
On Monday, Arkansas had a great chance to gain the momentum in the top of the first. Tavian Josenberger was hit by a pitch, Jace Bohrofen walked and then Jared Wegner was also hit by a pitch to load the bases with no outs. Ben McLaughlin hit a sacrifice fly to get Josenberger in, but one run was all the Hogs could get.
"(TCU starter) Cam Brown gave us a shot in the first to get him," Van Horn said. "And what I mean by that is score probably three runs, and we only scored one. He worked his way out of it."
The Horned Frogs used a single by Austin Davis in the bottom of the second to put his team up 2-1. That lead stood until the top of the fifth.
Arkansas took a 4-2 lead in the top of the fifth. Josenberger walked. Bohrofen hit a two-run shot over the fence in center field for a 3-2 lead. Wegner followed with a solo shot. It was TCU coach Kirk Saarloos questioning himself for leaving Brown in too long.
“I told myself that I wanted to bring Ben Abeldt into the game with a lead," Saarloos said. "After (John) Bolton flew out, I think in the fifth inning to get the first out and then he walked Josenberger. My gut was telling me it was time, but I didn’t listen to my gut.
“Jace hit one off the center field batter’s eye and then Wegner did the same thing the next at bat. I was kind of kicking myself a little bit not getting to Ben with a lead but I thought Ben was exactly what he had been. I thought he was awesome and kind of basically got our offense a chance to catch up.”
Abeldt (3-3) pitched 4.2 innings allowing just one hit, walking two and striking out four to pick up the win. His pitching made Saarloos' decision to stay with Brown maybe three hitters too long meaningless.
TCU scored a run in the bottom of the fifth to pull within 4-3. Davis hit a two-run shot in the bottom of the sixth and the Cole Fontenelle added an RBI single giving the Horned Frogs a 6-4 lead. Kurtis Byrne hit a solo shot in the bottom of the seventh making it 7-4 for TCU.
The Horned Frogs added five more runs in the bottom of the eighth to finish the scoring. The big hits were a double by Fontenelle and home runs by Byrne and Tre Richardson, who knocked in 11 runs on Sunday.
Van Horn used five pitchers on Monday. Cody Adcock got the start. He lasted 1.1 innings before Van Horn turned to Hagen Smith, Zack Morris, Gage Wood and Christian Foutch. Morris (1-4) took the loss. He pitched 0.2 inning giving up three hits and same amount of runs. Wood, who is from Batesville, worked 1.2 innings surrendering four runs.
TCU (40-22) will now advance to the Terre Haute Super Regional and face Indiana State.
A trio of Razorbacks made the All-Regional team. They were relief pitcher Will McEntire of Bryant, outfielder Tavian Josenberger and starting pitcher Brady Tygart.
Photos Courtesy of Craven Whitlow CW3 Action Sports
