BYU baseball: TCU completes sweep of BYU

The TCU baseball team jumped ahead early and never trailed, repeatedly answering BYU's comeback attempts to take an 11-7 win and complete a three-game sweep.

In BYU's (15-24, 5-7 Mountain West Conference) last rally, the Cougars scored three runs in the bottom of the seventh to cut the TCU (26-13, 11-4) lead to 8-7.

After BYU first baseman Kasey Ko reached on a fielder's choice and right fielder Jonathan Cluff drilled an RBI double to the center field wall, designated hitter Bryce Ayoso drove in Ko with a single, and Cluff scored on an errant pickoff attempt to cut TCU's lead to one.

But TCU responded in the top of the ninth. Third baseman Matt Carpenter led off with a walk, and designated hitter Hunt Woodruff reached on an error.

First baseman Matt Vern then came to the plate and made BYU pay by drilling a three-run shot that just cleared the 400-foot marker in dead center.

"The error opened the door because we couldn't be as careful pitching around Vern," BYU coach Vance Law said. "You have to give those guys credit. They played well this weekend."

TCU took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first, as shortstop Bryan Kervin singled and advanced to third on a two-base error when the ball got past BYU right fielder Jonathan Cluff.

Center fielder Clint Arnold drove in Kervin with a single, stole second and scored on left fielder Steve Ellington's single.

BYU answered in the bottom of the second, starting with Ko's double into the gap in left center. After two walks loaded the bases, catcher Chad Nacapoy's sacrifice fly and second baseman Brandon Relf's single tied the game.

TCU second baseman Ben Carruthers led off the fifth with a home run that just cleared the fence by the 388-foot marker in left center.

After Kervin singled and Arnold doubled, right fielder Chris Ellington hit an RBI groundout, and Steve Ellington muscled a single into left field to give TCU a 5-2 lead.

In the bottom of the inning, BYU center fielder Kent Walton reached on a fielder's choice, advanced to third on a wild pickoff attempt and scored on third baseman Steve Parker's infield single.

In the top of the sixth, Carruthers and Arnold hit singles, advanced to second and third on a wild pitch and scored on Chris Ellington's RBI single.

In the bottom of the sixth, Relf hit a double down the left field line, and left fielder Sean McNaughton bounced a single over Kervin's glove to make it 7-4.