Baylor Baseball Picks Up a Comeback Win over UIW, 8-7

WACO, Texas – Baylor baseball (21-20, 4-11) picked up a late-inning win over the University of Incarnate Word (16-21) on Tuesday night at Baylor Ballpark. 

After being swept in Austin, this game could have been labeled as a must-win. Early on, the Baylor team looked flat-out exhausted. The pitchers walked eight batters and hit three and the offense got off to a sluggish start, it wasn’t looking good.

The Bears were losing 7-2 heading into the bottom of the seventh, but clutch hitting propelled the green and gold to a comeback win. 

Jack Mackenzie - SicEm365

Freeman had a rough start on the bump today

Chandler Freeman started the game on the mound and struck out the first two Cardinals he faced. He then allowed a walk, followed by a two-run homer to give UIW the 2-0 lead after the top of the first. Getting punished after walking people has been a recurring theme all season for Freeman.

Cam Caley entered to pitch after Freeman had walked the bases loaded in the second inning. Freeman only went 1.1 IP and allowed three walks and two hit batters. Caley was able to escape the bases-loaded jam and prevent any further damage done. 

Jared McKenzie and Ian Groves both singled to lead off the bottom of the second inning. Esteban Cardoza-Oquendo successfully laid down a sacrifice bunt to move them both over. Alex Gonzales followed by grounding out to short to score McKenzie from third and cut into the UIW lead, 2-1.

The Bears tied the game in the bottom of the third after a two-out RBI double from Kyle Nevin scored Tre Richardson from second. 

Henry Cone allowed a run in the fifth to give the lead back to the Cardinals, 3-2. It wasn’t entirely Cone’s fault, however. Incarnate Word’s Ridge Rogers hit what looked like a routine pop-fly between SS and LF, but Gonzales appeared to let it drop in front of him. Rogers later came around to score the go-ahead run. 

Things quickly turned south in the top of the sixth inning. Cone walked the first two batters he faced, and then Cole Stasio came in to replace him and walked another to load the bases. Nixon Brannon, UIW’s five-hole hitter, took advantage of all the walks and hit a grand slam to put the game possibly out of reach at 7-2 Cardinals. Prior to the grand slam, Brannon had only one home run on the season in twenty-nine games.

Baylor Athletics

McKenzie celebrates after scoring a run for the Bears

UIW’s starter, Carson Rollins, who entered the game with a 5.82 ERA finished the game going 6 IP and gave up 3 ER, 3 R, 6 H, 3 BB, and 3 Ks on 87 pitches thrown. 

The Bears were finally able to pick up some runs in the seventh inning to start the comeback. Pineda hit an RBI single up the middle to score Cortlan Castle from third and McKenzie added a 2 RBI double. With only one out and runners on first and second, Cardoza-Oquendo and Gonzales both struck out to the end the inning. The Cardinals’ lead was cut to 7-5 after the seventh. 

Just when things were looking bleak, Baylor’s offense came alive in the eighth inning. Jacob Schoenvogel worked a walk to lead off the inning. Then, Castle and Richardson both singled to load the bases. Pineda topped it off with a clutch bases-clearing double to right-center to take the lead, 8-7. 

Matt Voelker secured the comeback win by shutting down UIW in the top of the ninth. Voelker struck out two and got the final out on a pop-fly to the warning track. 

Final: Baylor 8 - Incarnate Word 7

W: Matt Voelker (3-5) L: Steve Haywood (1-4) 

POTG: Jack Pineda 3-5, R, 4 RBI, 2B

WHAT’S NEXT

Baylor baseball (21-20, 4-11) welcomes No. 9 Texas Tech (29-14, 9-6) to Baylor Ballpark this weekend. Games are slated for 6:30 P.M. Friday, 3:00 P.M. on Saturday, and 1:00 P.M. on Sunday.