Marriott Shines as Baylor Baseball defeats Kansas State, 8-4

WACO, Texas – Baylor baseball (7-12, 1-1) picked up its first conference win of the season with an 8-4 defeat over Kansas State (13-5, 1-1) on Saturday afternoon at Baylor Ballpark.

Levi Caraway - SicEm365

Sophomore Mason Marriott struck out six and only allowed three hits and one run in Saturday’s win.

Baylor’s offense tied a season-high with 14 hits in the victory, and four Bears had multi-hit games. Junior outfielder Hunter Simmons led the way, going 4-5 with 3 RBIs.

Sophomore catcher Cort Castle had his best game of the season at the plate as well, going 3-4 with an RBI and two runs scored.

Sophomore RHP Mason Marriott started on the mound for Baylor on Saturday and had the best outing of his young career.

After allowing a run in the first, Marriott navigated multiple high-pressure situations throughout the game and limited Kansas State’s offense to only three hits.

Marriott finished the afternoon tossing six innings, surrendering only one earned run and striking out six on a career-high 105 pitches.

“[Mason’s] continuing to get better,” coach Mitch Thompson said after the game. “He’s continuing to throw the ball pretty good. He’s had a bunch of good starts for us, but we haven’t won a game for him yet, and he hasn’t earned a win yet … I give him a lot of credit. I thought he came out and competed really hard.”

In the third, a bases-loaded two-out walk from sophomore 1B John Ceccoli gave Baylor its first lead of the series, 2-1. In the following inning, Simmons delivered a two-out RBI single to extend the BU lead to 3-1.

Levi Caraway - SicEm365

Freshman SS Kolby Branch extended his on-base streak to 19 games on Saturday.

With the bases loaded again in the sixth, Simmons delivered a 2 RBI single. Junior second baseman Cole Posey followed later in the inning with an RBI double to put Baylor up 6-1.

Junior Cole Stasio entered into a one-out jam in the eighth with runners on first and second and escaped with only one run given up.

In the bottom of the eighth, Posey iced the game with a 2 RBI double into left field to give Baylor an 8-4 lead. Posey finished the afternoon 2-4 with two doubles and a season-high three RBIs.

“We know what we are and we know that we are young, but we’re growing,” Posey said after the game. “Any way I can help lead and facilitate that, I’m trying to, and you’re seeing the product we are putting on the field.”

Final: Baylor 8 - Kansas State 4

W: Mason Marriott (1-2) L: Jackson Wentworth (1-2) S: Cole Stasio (1)

POTG: Hunter Simmons 4-5, 3 RBI

WHAT’S NEXT

Baylor baseball (7-12, 1-1) will try and win the series against Kansas State (13-6, 1-1) at 1 p.m. on Sunday at Baylor Ballpark.