Baylor Takes Series Opener, Throttles ETSU 15-1

WACO, Texas –  Baylor baseball (14-11, 2-4) dominated ETSU (17-6) in game one of the series on Friday night. 

It was a beautiful night at Baylor Ballpark to sit back and watch Tyler Thomas go to work. The offense continued their torrid streak by putting 15 runs on the board. It was the third straight game that the Bears have scored fifteen or more runs and their fifth straight game with eight-plus hits. 

Baylor was able to cruise the majority of the night, but the game did not start off very promising. 

ETSU managed to put a run on the board in the first inning after an error and two infield singles. 

Uncharacteristically, Tyler Thomas walked the second batter he faced. With a runner on first, Pineda fumbled a potential double-play ball that came up on him quickly. After two awkwardly hit infield singles, ETSU took the 1-0 lead to start off the game. 

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The Bears were able to give Tyler Thomas a comfortable lead to work with after that, an uncommon occurrence this season. The Bears exploded for 5 runs in the bottom of the second.

It started with Casen Neumann lining a single through the right side. Then Harrison Caley hit a routine ground ball to shortstop that should have been a double-play, but the shortstop made an errant throw into right field. 

ETSU’s starter struggled with command all night. He nailed Alex Gonzales in the back to load the bases, and Esteban Oquendo-Cardoza followed with an infield single to tie the game. 

A few at-bats later, Tre Richardson and Jared McKenzie hit back-to-back doubles to give Baylor the 5-1 lead. 

In typical ace fashion, that was all Tyler Thomas would need. Thomas did not go as long as he normally does, due to ETSU’s ability to fight at the plate. Seemingly every ETSU player was taking 6+ pitches per at-bat. Still, Thomas was great as per usual. He finished the night with 5 IP, 6 H, R, 0 ER, 2 BB, and 3 K on 92 pitches. 

Baylor picked up another run in the third inning when Oquendo-Cardoza lined a shot into left-field to score Caley, 6-1 BU. Cardoza-Oquendo had a great day at the plate. He went 2-4 with 2 RBIs. I will note that Este played with his socks up for what I believe was the first time this season. Is it a coincidence that he played so well? I’ll let you decide.

ETSU made a pitching change heading into the bottom of the fifth, but the Bears kept their foot on the gas. Caley hit his second double of the night down the right-field line. Jack Pineda was then able to bring him home with a perfectly executed suicide squeeze, 7-1. 

This marked the first time all-season Baylor has attempted to land a squeeze bunt with a runner on third, and it worked to perfection. The squeeze play is one of the most beautiful things in baseball and frankly, I wish we would try it more often. Granted, with how often we bunt, that may be a controversial statement. 

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Jared McKenzie added to the lead even further with a deep shot off the very top of the center-field wall. The ETSU centerfielder did not even attempt to make an effort on the ball after it bounced back into play, McKenzie saw that and sprinted around the bases for his second inside-the-park home run of the year, 8-1 Baylor.

McKenzie went 2-5 tonight with a double, a home run, and 2 RBIs. He continues to rack up the extra-base hits, and, don’t look now, his batting average has crept up to .290.

Baylor added five more runs in the seventh thanks to a towering 416 foot three-run shot from Ian Groves, 14-1 BU. After that, the Bears tacked on one more for that extra layer of security and finished the night 15-1.

Final: Baylor 15 - ETSU 1

W: Tyler Thomas (4-3) L: Hunter Loyd (3-1) 

POTG: Jack Pineda 4-5, 2 R, 2 RBI

TOP QUOTES

Ian Groves on him and Casen Neumann bringing power to the lineup

“Well first, Casen Neumann as a true freshman can freaking rake. The dude is good. But I think the left-right combo really helps out because we can switch it back and forth. Power helps too and I think we are doing a pretty good job of that.”

Jared McKenzie on the state of the offense

“I think you look at the past couple of weekends. You know we haven’t had the series wins, however, the bats are coming around. It’s promising and it’s exciting there is a lot of Big 12 play left and our offense is starting to click and if we can continue to do that, hopefully, everything across the board will pick up and we will be able to start winning the series”

Coach Rodriguez on Muirhead and Stasio’s performances out of the bullpen

”it’s a good sign. The role is still yet to be determined. Can you do it against a Big 12 opponent? Can you do it while the game is on the line? That for us is a great thing. It’s a great step because you are able to go out there and do it, that’s the big thing. But can you do it when there are 5,000 screaming fans in the stadium screaming at you? That’s what makes everything different. But they have to have success out here first and once they have success in a game like this, that is usually the next step.”

WHAT’S NEXT

Baylor baseball (14-11, 2-4) continues the series against ETSU tomorrow at 3:00 P.M. at Baylor Ballpark.