Story Poster
Photo by @BaylorBaseball
Baylor Baseball

Baylor Baseball Wins Extra-Inning Thriller Over Dallas Baptist, 8-7

March 8, 2023
2,736

WACO, Texas – Baylor baseball (5-8) won an extra-inning thriller over DBU (7-5) Tuesday night at Baylor Ballpark by a final of 8-7.

In a back-and-forth affair, it was finally BU freshman INF Kolby Branch who came through with the walk-off knock, his third hit of the night, in the bottom of the 12th to send the Bears home winners.

Branch and fellow freshman Zach Mazoch each had three hits, while sophomore INF Hunter Teplanszky joined Branch as the only Bears with two RBIs on the night. Junior RHP’s Grant Golomb, Cole Stasio and Hambleton Oliver combined for nine strikeouts in 7.2 innings out of the bullpen without allowing an earned run.

The win was Baylor’s second walk-off victory of the season, and longest game played since going 13 innings at UT Arlington on April 9, 2019.


THE RUNDOWN

DBU struck first in the top of the second with three runs off Baylor starter Jared Matheson, who struck out three for the third time in four appearances this year. But, a Branch RBI single in the third and a Teplanszky sacrifice fly in the fourth pulled BU within a run, 3-2, through the first four frames.

Golomb put up three zeros and faced just 10 hitters over the middle innings, making quick work of his three innings out of the pen. He struck out four without allowing a hit and surrendered just one walk to the first batter he faced.

In the bottom of the sixth, Baylor put up a three-spot as Teplanszky delivered another sac fly, then junior OF Hunter Simmons scored on a wild pitch, and junior INF Will Pendergrass made it 5-3 with an RBI double.

However, the Patriots would go back in front with three runs in the top of the seventh, re-taking a 6-5 lead that they would hold until the bottom of the ninth inning.

After Stasio held DBU off in the eighth and ninth, it was the top of the BU order that nearly hit back-to-back jacks to end it. Branch led off with a blast to the warning track in left field that was caught just a couple feet shy of clearing the wall, but then redshirt freshman OF Gavin Brzozowski crushed a no-doubter over the right field wall to even the score at 6-6.

With the bases loaded in the top of the 10th, Stasio buckled down for a huge strikeout that prevented DBU from going back in front. But, BU was unable to score the winning run in the bottom of the frame, as Teplanszky was stranded just 90 feet away on third.

The top of the 11th came to an emphatic end as Harrison Caley caught his third runner stealing on the night, but once again the Bears were unable to win it in the bottom half with nothing coming of a Brzozowski one-out walk.

In the 12th, a two-out error sparked a DBU rally that ultimately resulted in a run-scoring wild pitch and a 7-6 lead. But, the Bears wouldn’t go down quietly as Mazoch led off the bottom of the inning with a single, and his pinch-runner Daniel Altman advanced to third on Teplanszky’s second knock of the night.

With Pendergrass at the dish, Altman crossed the plate on a wild pitch to knot the tally at 7-7. Then, after an error and a walk loaded the bases, Branch blooped in a single down the right field line to score Teplanszky and stamp the victory.


HIGHLIGHTS

• Baylor improved to 54-28 all-time against DBU and snapped a two-game losing streak against the Patriots.

• BU is now 2-1 in midweek games in 2023, all against fellow teams from the state of Texas.

• Baylor is now 2-1 in extra-inning contests this season.

• 12 innings marked the longest Baylor game since playing 13 at UT Arlington on April 9, 2019.

• The Bears are now 4-0 when they out-hit their opponents.

• BU pitchers struck out a season-high 15 batters against DBU.

• 15 punchouts are the most by a Baylor team since doing so against Texas A&M on Feb. 26, 2021.

• The Bears have eclipsed double-digit strikeouts in 10 of 13 games this season.

• BU has punched out at least 13 opposing hitters in six of 13 games this year.

• Freshman INF Kolby Branch extended his on-base streak to 13 games.

• Branch recorded his fourth multi-hit game of the year with three. All four of his multi-hit games have come with at least three hits.

• Branch also tallied his fourth multi-RBI game of the year, with two.

• Redshirt freshman OF Gavin Brzozowski crushed his second home run of the year.

• Junior LHP/OF Kobe Andrade notched his sixth double of the season. 10 of Andrade’s 13 hits on the year have gone for extra bases.

• Junior OF Hunter Simmons recorded his third multi-hit game of the year.

• Freshman C Zach Mazoch collected a career-high three hits, his second multi-hit game of 2023.

• Sophomore INF Hunter Teplanszky notched his fourth multi-hit and first multi-RBI performance of the season.

• Junior RHP Grant Golomb recorded a season-high four strikeouts and worked a season-long three innings.

• Junior RHP Cole Stasio worked a career-long 2.2 innings. This is his third scoreless appearance in five outings this season.

• Fourth-year junior RHP Hambleton Oliver tied his season high with three strikeouts and earned his second win of the year.

STAT OF THE GAME

13 – Freshman INF Kolby Branch, who also wears number 13, extended his on-base streak to 13 games with a three-hit performance, which included the game-winning knock.


QUOTABLE

Head Coach Mitch Thompson

On today’s win…

"This was a big win for us. That’s a good club. They’re talented, and their arms are talented, and their hitters are talented. To keep fighting back and fighting back and scoring and winning is huge. We tried to put the guys in the best situations we could. They competed through stuff. Winning these games does more. It does more for building the team and bringing guys together. That’s what we did tonight. We’re not going to be afraid to use our roster. Tonight was a great result.”

 

Fourth-year junior RHP Hambleton Oliver

On his teammates having his back…

"It was unbelievable for them to have our backs. We knew they had our backs on the field and at the plate. If mistakes happened on the field, we knew they’d take care of it at the plate. There was really no worries, we had all the confidence in them and I hope they had the same confidence in us.”

 

Redshirt freshman OF Gavin Brzozowski

On the team’s energy during the win…

“That’s definitely the loudest we’ve been and it was fun competing. I think that’s what we needed. A good extra-inning game against a really good ballclub, and it was fun. Really fun. I feel like that’s how baseball should be and that’s how we’re gonna turn it around. We’re gonna keep trying to have fun and keep competing every chance we get. I feel like that was a real eye-opener that we can compete with really good arms and a really good hitting team. I think a lot of us just gained a lot of confidence in each and every one of us.”


WHAT’S NEXT

Baylor (5-8) welcomes Mercer (9-4) for a three-game series this weekend at Baylor Ballpark in Waco. Friday night’s first pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. between the Bears and the Bears.

Discussion from...

Baylor Baseball Wins Extra-Inning Thriller Over Dallas Baptist, 8-7

1,481 Views | 3 Replies | Last: 1 yr ago by Bear8084
Oldbear83
How long do you want to ignore this user?
What impresses me the most, is that the Bears came back three times to win in that game.

Down 0-3 took a 5-3 lead

Down 5-6 tied it at 6

Down 6-7 came back to win 8-7
That which does not kill me, will try again and get nastier
MrGolfguy
How long do you want to ignore this user?
W
Well I ain't no greenhorn!!
Bear8084
How long do you want to ignore this user?
Oldbear83 said:

What impresses me the most, is that the Bears came back three times to win in that game.

Down 0-3 took a 5-3 lead

Down 5-6 tied it at 6

Down 6-7 came back to win 8-7


Learning to bounce back and win. Some more bumps along the way in the rebuild, but signs like this are good. Good win. Sic 'Em!
Refresh
Page 1 of 1
 
×
subscribe Verify your student status
See Subscription Benefits
Trial only available to users who have never subscribed or participated in a previous trial.