TCU Completes Sweep of Pirates, 12-6
April 20, 2003 | Baseball
FORT WORTH, Texas -- TCU scored in every inning but the first en route to a 12-6 win over East Carolina Sunday afternoon at Lupton Stadium and Williams-Reilly Field. The triumph completed the Horned Frogs' three-game sweep of the Pirates and extended the Frogs' winning streak to a season-best six games.
TCU (26-15, 13-5 C-USA) scored single runs in the second, fourth, sixth and eighth innings, two in the seventh and three in both the third and fifth stanzas to cap a weekend that saw the Horned Frogs tap East Carolina pitching for 24 runs in three games. The Pirates had allowed just 3.8 runs per game entering the weekend.
Horned Frog designated hitter Chris Neuman led Sunday's offensive charge for TCU by driving in three runs and scoring three more. All three of the left-hander's RBI came on a home run in the fifth inning that gave TCU an 8-2 lead and effectively sealed the outcome of the game.
Third baseman Mike Settle and first baseman Jared Lundeen each drove in a pair of runs on two hits to help pace the Horned Frogs. Settle had an RBI single and double while Lundeen launched a two-run homer to left field in the seventh.
Junior Robbie Findlay picked up the victory with 6.1 solid innings on the mound. The right-hander allowed three runs (two earned) on six hits in the outing and tied a career high with six strikeouts. The win upped his record to 3-1 on the season.
Despite its second sweep of East Carolina (24-16-1, 10-8 C-USA) in as many seasons, TCU remains a game behind Conference USA leader Southern Miss, who completed a three-game sweep at Memphis on Sunday.
The Pirates, who have advanced to four-straight NCAA Tournaments, fell from a second-place tie in the C-USA standings with TCU entering the weekend to sixth place, four games off the pace set by Southern Miss.
Nine different Pirates gathered hits in the loss, including Jamie Paige and Brian Cavanaugh, who each hit home runs.
Senior Glenn Tucker (3-2) made the start and suffered the loss for ECU. Tucker allowed eight runs (seven earned) on eight hits through 4.1 innings.
The Pirates are in the midst of eight consecutive road games, which will continue on Wednesday night at North Carolina. ECU travels to Louisville next weekend in another three-game C-USA series.
