Baylor Sweeps ETSU, Wins Series Finale, 7-4

WACO, Texas –  Baylor baseball (16-11, 2-4) completed the sweep against ETSU (17-8) on Sunday afternoon. 

For the first time on the season, the Bears swept a series. ETSU was a very solid team and all the credit to Baylor for being able to win three consecutive games against a good opponent. 

Baylor can attribute the success of this weekend to elite starting pitching and explosive offense. The offense scored 30 runs through the three-game series. Tyler Thomas, Kobe Andrade, and Will Rigney gave up a combined 5 ER on 17 IP against one of the best offenses in the country. 

Rigney got the opportunity to close out the series on the mound. He started the game picking up two outs on three pitches, which is an impressive feat against this East Tennessee State lineup. But the thought of a 1-2-3 inning quickly subsided when Bryce Hodge hit a solo home run over the left-field wall. 1-0 Buccaneers.

Jack Mackenzie - SicEm365

The Bears got the run right back and then some, thanks to a Kyle Nevin 2RBI single in the bottom of the first. Nevin had a great at-bat fouling off more than five pitches with an 0-2 count before eventually lining one through the left side to score Pineda and Richardson. 2-1 Bears.

Tre Richardson started off what would become an explosive third inning by popping up to right field. The ETSU right fielder lost the ball in the sun and Richardson made it to second on the play. Kyle Nevin followed with a walk, then RBI-machine Chase Wehsener registered his team-leading 26th RBI with a single up the middle. 3-1 BU.

Casen Neumann followed that up by crushing a ball into a crease in the right-field wall, which is something you do not see every day. After a bit of confusion, it was ruled a ground-rule double and Nevin came around to score. 4-1 BU.

The Bears kept racking up hits in the inning, with Harrison Caley adding on to the total with a 2RBI single into center. Baylor led 6-1 after the third. 

On the mound today, Will Rigney was dominant. After his first-inning hiccup, he settled down and was dishing out straight filth from the bump. His slider and other breaking pitches had the Buccaneers searching for answers all afternoon. It was nice to see Rigney bounce back after last weekend. He ended with 6 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, and a career-high 8 K’s on 85 pitches. 

Jack Mackenzie - SicEm365

Adam Muirhead entered in relief of Rigney and allowed a run off of a wild pitch. 6-3 BU. 

Antonio Valdez hit an RBI triple off the right-field wall that gave the Bears one more insurance run heading into the bottom of the ninth. 

Mason Marriott closed out the game and sealed the sweep. He followed a great showing yesterday with a decent outing today. He gave up a solo shot and a hit but was able to navigate the strike zone well against the meat of the ETSU lineup. He also walked one but was able to grab his fifth save of the year.

Getting the sweep is great for the overall morale of this team heading back into conference play.

For the first time this season, the Bears are on a five-game winning streak.

Final: Baylor 7 - ETSU 4

W: Will Rigney (2-0) L: Landon Smiddy (1-3) S: Mason Marriott (5)

POTG: Will Rigney 6 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, and a career-high 8 K’s on 85 pitches

TOP QUOTES

Coach Rodriguez on the sweep

“East Tennessee State is a really good ballclub. They got some arms rolling out throwing 95, 96. The meat of their order is really dangerous, you saw that today. You make a mistake over the middle of the plate and they are going to crush it. They are going to have a really good year... I was really happy with the way our guys approached this weekend. They came out with a worker mentality and they laid some really good swings on things. Even towards the end of the game, we couldn’t get guys on base. We were taking really good swings and they made some unbelievable plays on defense. And then Antonio Valdez comes up with a huge hit to give us that extra run which came up big.”

Will Rigney on being the Sunday guy

“People don’t realize, that Friday and Saturday are obviously important. But Sunday you are either pitching for the series win, pitching to not get swept, or pitching to sweep. So every single game is important for the Sunday guy. It’s fun”

Harrison Caley on his great performances at the plate lately

“I’ve had a really good two-strike approach. If I get behind in a count, it’s more of a comfort for me. I’m good at driving the ball the other way.”

WHAT’S NEXT

On Tuesday, Baylor baseball (16-11, 2-4) will travel up I-35 to take on DBU (17-10) at Horner Ballpark, first pitch is scheduled at 6:30 P.M.