Lamar sports information

FORT WORTH — Lamar University (15-33) brought the winning run to the plate but came up just short Saturday in a 4-3 loss to Texas Christian University (26-18). Despite the score, Noah Sills largely dominated TCU, striking out eight Horned Frogs while allowing no walks and just six hits, three of which came on homers that barely carried over the fence in a small ballpark. Those homers and an error were the difference in the game.

It was another pitching duel between the two teams, similar to Friday’s 2-0 decision in favor of the Frogs. The two teams combined for just nine hits total, and while Lamar’s staff walked none, TCU surrendered four bases-on-balls.

Sills had surrendered just four hits through the first four innings, two of which were lead-off, one-run homers to the left field fence. Both of those long bombs carried approximately 340 feet with the wind blowing out towards left field at about nine miles per hour.

A two-run homer in the bottom of the seventh inning was the difference in the 4-3 decision in favor of TCU. The lead-off Horned Frog reached on an error, and after two more outs was brought home, unearned, on a deep fly ball that just carried over the right field fence, just inside the foul pole, traveling 330 feet. After seven innings TCU led 4-0.

Lamar was held scoreless for most of the game, but a late-inning rally put Lamar within inches of forcing extra innings or capturing a win. After a deep fly ball to left got the first out of the inning, Chad McKinney worked a nine-pitch at-bat into a walk. Philip Ingram and Cole Girouard were also walked to load up the bases, and Robin Adames hit an RBI grounder to the pitcher to bring McKinney home. Cole Coker successfully brought Ingram and Girouard home on a single into left field, and though the winning run came to the plate, a strikeout ended the threat.

The series finale is scheduled for a 1 p.m. first pitch today with Jason Blanchard on the mound for Lamar. Following today’s game, the Cards will return to action next Friday for the first of three Southland Conference games at Stephen F. Austin before closing the regular season with a three-game SLC series at home against McNeese State.