Baylor Baseball Blows Late Lead to Youngstown State, Loses 7-5

Baylor Athletics

Senior Blake Helton struck out a career-high 11 batters in seven innings pitched before the bullpen blew the late lead.

WACO, Texas – Baylor Baseball (2-7) blew a late lead and fell to Youngstown State (2-7), 7-5, in the series opener on Friday night at Baylor Ballpark.

The Bears extended their losing streak to five games after YSU overcame a 5-2 deficit in the top of the ninth inning.

With the bases loaded and the Penguins down to their last out, junior RHP Cole Stasio allowed two consecutive hits to tie the game at five apiece.

Junior righty Anderson Needham entered in an attempt to minimize the damage but allowed a go-ahead 2 RBI double to Youngstown State’s centerfielder, Turner Grau.

Through nine games in 2023, Baylor’s pitching staff has allowed 100 total runs. Fifty-five of those runs have come with two outs.

It was a brutal loss after senior RHP Blake Helton had tossed his best start of the season. Helton struck out a career-high 11 batters in seven innings of work while only allowing one earned run and five hits.

The Bears’ offense had opportunities throughout the night to put more runs on the board but finished with only five hits and left nine runners on base.

In the bottom of the seventh, junior Kobe Andrade lined a 2 RBI triple into centerfield to give Baylor the 3-2 lead.

In the eighth, freshman Caleb Bergman’s first collegiate hit was a 2 RBI double to extend BU’s lead to 5-2.

Final: Youngstown State 7 - Baylor 5

W: Brandin Anderson (1-0) L: Cole Stasio (1-2)

POTG: Blake Helton 7.0 IP, 2 R, ER, 5 H, 2 BB, 11 K, 96 pitches

WHAT’S NEXT

Baylor Baseball (2-7) will continue its series against Youngstown State (2-7) with a doubleheader starting at 2 p.m. tomorrow at Baylor Ballpark.