OMAHA, Neb. -
Texas Tech carried a 3-2 lead into the ninth inning, but TCU rallied behind a three-run home run from Luken Baker to claim a 5-3 decision in the College World Series opener for both teams Sunday at TD Ameritrade Park.
The Red Raiders (46-19) will take on No. 1 seed Florida or Coastal Carolina during an elimination game on Tuesday with first pitch scheduled for 4 p.m. CT televised by ESPN2.
Texas Tech broke a 2-2 tie when Hunter Hargrove cranked a two-out, line-drive double down the left field on the first pitch of the sequence. The RBI double was set up by a Cory Raley infield single and an Eric Gutierrez intentional walk.
TCU (48-16) opened the ninth inning with an Austen Wade leadoff walk. Two batters later, Evan Skoug singled to put runners on first and second base. On a 1-0 offering, Baker connected on his 10th homer of the season and fifth of the NCAA Tournament to clear the bases.
The Horned Frogs turned to Durbin Feltman, who worked a 1-2-3 ninth inning to earn his ninth save of the season. Tech's Robert Dugger dropped to 6-2 on the season, and it marked only the second time in 43 games this season that the Red Raiders lost when leading after eight innings.
The Red Raiders got on the board first in the third inning on a Cory Raley double to the left-field corner that allowed Tanner Gardner to scamper home from first after TCU left fielder Josh Watson bobbled the ball off the wall.
Gardner, who connected on a two-out single to reach in the third, added a RBI double in the fifth to pull the Red Raiders to a 2-2 tie. His liner down the right-field line easily scored Tyler Floyd, who walked to start the inning.
Both teams took advantage of several defensive errors as TCU tied the game with an unearned run in the fourth that came from a Ryan Merrill sacrifice fly. Gardner's run in the third also went unearned to TCU starter Jared Janczak.
The Horned Frogs took a brief 2-1 lead in the top of the fifth off a solo home run from Cam Warner. It was the first home run so far in the College World Series as Warner lifted an 0-1 pitch into the left field bullpen for his sixth homer of the year.
