ARLINGTON, Texas — No. 23 Vanderbilt put the tying run on second in the bottom of the ninth but fell 5-4 to No. 10 TCU on Opening Day at Globe Life Field.
Colin Barczi belted three home runs, all more than 430 feet, in the defeat. He became the first Commodore since Connor Kaiser in 2018 with three homers in a game.
Connor Fennell turned in a strong start on the mound with seven strikeouts over 5.1 innings while limiting the potent Horned Frogs to just two runs on two hits.
TCU took a 1-0 lead in the first on a solo homer. Barczi then left the yard in the fourth inning to tie the game. His blast measured 452 feet.
Brodie Johnston’s 16th career home run put Vandy up 2-1 in the bottom of the fifth.
Another solo shot from the Horned Frogs tied it in the sixth before Barczi hit a no-doubter in the seventh to retake the lead. His second deep fly traveled an estimated 430 feet.
TCU put up three runs in the top of the eighth, two coming off a defensive miscue by the Commodores.
Barczi cut TCU’s two-run lead in half with one out in the bottom of the ninth with his third long ball, this one coming in at 458 feet.
Johnston followed with a double but was stranded on second the TCU held on to win 5-4.
Vanderbilt is back at Globe Life Field on Saturday to face Texas Tech at 11 a.m. CT on FloSports and 94.9 The Fan.
