Baylor Baseball Walks-Off UTSA, 3-2

WACO, Texas –  Baylor baseball (11-9, 1-2) was able to pull out a late win against UTSA (12-8) on Tuesday night at Baylor Ballpark. 

The game was interesting, to say the least. It took two hours to complete the first four innings and there were eleven pitching changes over the course of the game. Baylor's pitching staff issued eight walks while the offense struck out fourteen times. UTSA only managed to get one hit through seven innings but led the majority of the game.

With the bases loaded in the bottom of the first, Esteban Oquendo-Cardoza grounded out to the shortstop stranding the runners. That pretty much exemplified the majority of the night for the Bears.

Mason Marriott got the start and once again struggled to find the zone early. He pitched an inning and a third and gave up 2 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 1 K, and 1 HBP. He threw 42 pitches, 21 of those were strikes and 21 of them were balls. 

Jack Mackenzie - SicEm365

Marriott exited the game with the bases loaded after hitting a batter, then he went on to make a critical throwing error to first that advanced the runners, and followed that up by walking the nine-hole hitter. Grant Golomb was left to enter into a tough position. Golomb gave up a single up the middle and walked in a runner to give UTSA a 2-0 lead after the top of the second. 

In the third, Chase Wehsener hit a sacrifice fly into right field to score Tre Richardson from third, closing the lead to 2-1 UTSA. That would be the only offense for the Bears until the ninth.

Heading into the eighth, UTSA led 2-1 with only one hit on the game. The Roadrunners started the inning with two consecutive singles off of Brett Garcia, the runners later advanced off of a wild pitch. An intentional walk loaded the bases and Jake Jackson came in to get out of the jam. Jackson in his first relief appearance of the season was able to get a 4-6-3 double play to escape the inning. 

Chase Wehsener led off the ninth with a walk and Esteban Cardoza-Oquendo sacrifice bunted Wehsener over to second. Casen Neumann came in to pinch-hit for Ian Groves and hit a sharp liner to the first baseman that was dropped, Nolan Rodriguez who pinch-ran for Wehsener came around to score the tying run.

Kobe Andrade was then hit by a pitch, and Antonio Valdez, who pinch-hit for Cortlan Castle, was walked to load the bases. With the bases loaded and the game tied, Jack Pineda walked and brought in the walk-off run.

I thought after Saturday and Sunday, this offense had taken the necessary step forward it needed, but tonight looked like a step in the opposite direction. The Bears tied a season-worst by striking out 14 times but were able to prevail in the ninth. 

At the end of the day, a win is a win. 

Final: Baylor 3 - UTSA 2

W: Jake Jackson (2-2) L: Simon Miller (1-2) 

POTG: Jared McKenzie 3-4, K

TOP QUOTES

Head coach Steve Rodriguez

On the ninth-inning comeback…

“We were preparing for a lot of different things the last couple innings. I had a good feeling about it. We had guys ready for pinch running, pinch hitting, opportunities to bunt, different situations. You could kind of feel it, but at the same time you just never know. We needed to get guys on base to start. We were able to do that with a leadoff guy in the ninth. We were able to get a pinch runner. Then, we were able to get a bunt down. Things started to develop. On days like today where the wind’s blowing in at 20-30 miles an hour and it’s cold. It’s a four-hour game and it shouldn’t be. It’s just an exhausting thing, but I thought our guys did a great job keeping the energy where it was and keeping the focus. They didn’t chase. They didn’t go out of the zone. They did a really good job of just finding a way to win.”

Sophomore OF Jared McKenzie

On getting into a groove at the plate…

“Yes, definitely. I look at my first 50 at-bats and put them in the past. So what? It happened. Now, it’s just going back to where I’ve been successful, hitting the ball up the middle. Since my freshman year, I just try to hit the ball up the middle and have gotten back to that approach and now I’m starting to see more success.”

Senior RHP Jake Jackson

On his mentality coming out of the bullpen…

“Same mentality as always, do my best, throw strikes and get people out. It was a mental and confidence boost. I’ve been struggling a little bit. Confidence has been down a little bit, so being in that situation and getting the job done definitely boosts confidence and boosts mentality a little bit.”

WHAT’S NEXT

Baylor baseball will travel to Norman to face Oklahoma (12-7.0-0) in a weekend series at L. Dale Mitchell Baseball Park. 

The Bears then return home to Baylor Ballpark and take on UT Arlington next Tuesday night for a midweek clash.