Around the Big 12: Cougars Do Mountaineers a Favor
On the same night that West Virginia couldn’t hold on against Kansas State, Arizona State ran into the same problem with Houston.
The Sun Devils blew a three-run lead in the sixth inning, allowing Houston to scramble back. ASU didn’t score again until the ninth, as the Cougars claimed a 6-5 win over their hosts on Friday night.
Having the Cougars do the Mountaineers a favor means that West Virginia’s lead in the Big 12 holds steady at three games. The Mountaineers could clinch a share of first place Saturday, if they win and Arizona State and TCU both lose.
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Ben Jacobs, normally a reliable ace for ASU, ran out of gas in the sixth. He opened the inning with a hit batter and a walk, then promptly loaded the bases with a single. After striking Tre Broussard, Jacobs walked Cade Climie to force in a run, and the Sun Devils opted for reliever Lucas Kelly.
However, Kelly walked in a run himself, and Tyler Cox put the Cougars ahead to stay with a two-run single for a 5-4 lead. Houston then handed the ball to Antoine Jean for a four-inning save, as Jean fanned six over the final four frames. The Sun Devils got the tying run to third in the ninth, but Jean got Kyle Walker to ground out to seal the win.
The teams play Game 2 Saturday.
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Jayhawks Stay Alive in Title Race
Chase Diggins homered and drove in three runs, and the Kansas Jayhawks got the win they needed to keep themselves in the Big 12 race. Kansas jumped on BYU with two first-inning runs and never looked back, winning 10-1 on Friday.
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Kansas still has a mountain to climb, but the Jayhawks can keep themselves alive with a win and at least one West Virginia loss. If Kansas loses Saturday to BYU, the Jayhawks would be out of the race if the Mountaineers win either Saturday or Sunday.
Cooper Moore struck out 10 and held BYU to just one run in eight innings of work. Kansas got five RBIs out of the bottom two spots in the lineup, and the Jayhawks whacked five doubles. The win broke a four-game Big 12 losing streak for Kansas. BYU’s loss meant the Cougars slipped out of the last Big 12 tournament spot. The Cougars are now tied for 12th with UCF. The series concludes Saturday.
Knights Climb Into Tournament Spot
Braden Calise singled in two runs to keep Texas Tech at bay, as UCF picked up a key 7-3 win over the Red Raiders in Lubbock.
Central Florida moved into a tie for 12th with BYU for the final spot in Arlington. The Knights have an extra game to play, which could end up proving critical.
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Andrew Williamson homered to get the Knights started, and Camden Wicker went five innings and struck out seven. Texas Tech battled back to tie it in the sixth, but the Red Raiders’ bullpen couldn’t hold the Knights after that. Game 2 takes place Saturday.
Cowboys Even Big 12 Record
Brayden Smith and Nolan Schubart homered and Harrison Bodendorf kept Baylor’s lineup controlled in a 7-2 win on Friday in Waco.
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Bodendorf struck out nine and allowed just one run in six innings of work. He moved to 9-1 on the season, and he’s gone six innings or more in four of his past six appearances.
Tyriq Kemp had three hits for Baylor, but the Bears left nine on base in the loss. Baylor has lost three straight, but likely remains safe for the Big 12 tournament. Game 2 takes place Saturday.
Frogs Power Past Bearcats
Noah Franco homered and drove in five runs, and TCU exploded for a 17-11 win over Cincinnati on Friday. The Frogs moved into a tie for second place with the win and sit three games back of West Virginia.
Tommy LaPour struck out 11 for TCU, although he allowed five runs in the process. It didn’t matter because Nathan Taylor had even more problems with TCU’s lineup. Taylor completed five innings and allowed five runs, but came out after loading the bases in the sixth.
The Frogs then unloaded for 12 more runs over their final three turns at bat, scoring five in the sixth and another seven in the eighth. Nolan Treager and Anthony Silva also homered for TCU, offsetting three Bearcat homers. Game 2 takes place Saturday.
Utes Trip Up Arizona
Colter McAnelly held Arizona to three runs over seven innings, and Utah got a key win, upending Arizona 8-6 in Tucson.
Owen Kramkowski again struggled in the Friday night starter role, lasting just four innings and taking his fourth loss of the year. Kramkowski had won four straight before moving from Saturday to Friday.
Kaden Carpenter homered and drove in two for Utah, which needs to win at least two more of its final five games to have any chance at the Big 12 tournament. Game 2 is Saturday.
