Bears Walkoff Series Finale against Columbia, 4-3, Win Series 2-1
WACO, Texas – A walk-off single by Jared McKenzie propelled Baylor baseball (9-6) to close out the series against Columbia (4-6) with a narrow win.
The game went back and forth all day. Columbia is a scrappy team and they fought hard. Baylor led most of the game early, but Colombia was able to fight back after Will Rigney exited the game. Both teams scored again late and Columbia took it to extra innings with all the momentum. In the end, Jared McKenzie was able to come up clutch and hit a walk-off single to win the game and the series for the Bears.
Defensive miscues hurt the Bears early in the series finale against Columbia.
In the top of the first, Harrison Caley made an unwarranted throw in an attempt to throw out the baserunner at third. The ball ended up in left field and Columbia got on the board first with a 1-0 lead. Errors continue to hurt this team time and time again.
With two outs in the bottom of the third. Tre Richardson launched a hanging fastball about 415 feet over the left-center field wall to give Baylor a 2-1 lead. Richardson is now tied with Kyle Nevin for the team lead in home runs with two.
Overall, Baylor has not been a great two-out hitting team so far this season. Wehsener, Pineda, and Richardson have all been able to come up big with two-outs this weekend though. Two-out hitting separates good teams from great teams.
Will Rigney pitched great today. Columbia’s lineup was unable to have anywhere near as much success against Rigney as they had last game against Jake Jackson. Rigney finished with 5.1 innings pitched and gave up 1 R, 0 ER, 3 H, 1 BB, and 3 Ks. The problems arose when Rigney left the game.
Matt Voelker entered in the sixth and immediately gave up a single to Taylor MacGregor, the hero that delivered the bases-clearing double to tie the game yesterday for Columbia. The single was followed by a double down the left-field line by Cole Hage to tie the game at 2-2.
Voelker has arguably been the most trustworthy arm out of the Baylor bullpen so far this season, but questions continue to arise about who to go to when Thomas, Jackson, and Rigney can go no longer.
Baylor regained the lead in the bottom of the sixth when Alex Gonzales hit into a fielder’s choice that scored Chase Wehsener from third. 3-2 Baylor.
Mason Marriott entered in the eighth with a runner on second. Marriott threw a wild pitch to advance a Columbia runner to third, then gave up a single to tie the game, 3-3. Marriott continued to struggle to hit the strike zone, the runner advanced to third after two wild pitches, but Kyle Nevin made a diving catch in right field to prevent Columbia from taking the lead.
Tre Richardson opened the tenth with a walk. Kyle Nevin hit a ball off the right-field wall that was misplayed by the right fielder but was ruled a double. Then Wehsener was intentionally walked to load the bases.
With no outs and the infield in, Jared McKenzie delivered a walk-off single into right field to score Richardson and clinch the game and the series for the Bears.
Wehsener extended his hitting streak to six games today. After two doubles on Sunday afternoon, Jack Pineda’s batting average eclipsed .295 for the first time this season. The Bears now have two everyday starters that are hitting above .295 with Wehsener hitting .302 and Pineda hitting .297.
Final: Baylor 4 - Columbia 3
W: Mason Marriott (1-0) L: JD Ogden (0-2)
POTG: Tre Richardson 1-4, HR, 2 RBI, 2 R, BB
TOP QUOTES
“It was great to have Jared come up in the bottom of the tenth. As hard as he has been working lately trying to make sure he is back locked in. I thought he swung the bat really well today and it was really good to see.” - Coach Rodriguez
“I was thankful for the opportunity. Thank the good Lord I got a hit because man it has been a tough fight these first fifty at-bats, but I think we are trying to figure out the groove and I think we are, so we are going to be alright... I think yesterday I put a few good swings on the ball and I was feeling good. I thought today my at bats weren’t too bad and I was starting to feel like my old self.” - Jared McKenzie
“Any win is exciting, but whenever you can walk-off against a team, espcially in the last game of the series, walk-offs feel like the most fun thing in baseball. It was real cool to hit a home run and come back and lead off the next inning and just try and get on base the way I could and come around and score the winning run.” - Tre Richardson
WHAT’S NEXT
Baylor baseball travels to Huntsville on Tuesday for a midweek matchup with Sam Houston State at 6:30 P.M. The Bears open conference play against TCU next weekend at Baylor Ballpark.