Entering its stretch run with the regular season winding down, TCU baseball didn’t get the type of starting pitching it desired in losing a nonconference series to the University of Louisiana Monroe over the weekend.

ULM entered the series as a .500-team and left with a winning record. TCU struggled in multiple phases, particularly the starting pitching department.

Left-hander Russell Smith allowed four runs on seven hits over 5 1/3 innings on Friday. Then left-hander Austin Krob was handed his first loss of the season, allowing seven runs (six earned) on seven hits over just one-plus inning in the first game of a doubleheader Saturday.

In the second game of the doubleheader on Saturday — the only game TCU won in the series — freshman Luke Savage made his weekend rotation debut, allowing two runs on six hits with one walk and three strikeouts over three innings.

Along with the starting pitching, the offense struggled at times. On Friday night, ULM had a no-hit bid going into the ninth inning before TCU rallied to pull within 4-3. Still, by the end of the game, the Frogs had just one hit on a ninth-inning single by shortstop Tommy Sacco.

ULM is the fourth school to hand TCU a series loss this season along with Gonzaga, Texas Tech and Texas.

The Horned Frogs (35-14, 16-5 Big 12) return to action against Texas State on Tuesday night at Lupton Stadium. First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m.

TCU then closes its regular season with a three-game series at Kansas State starting Thursday.

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