Baylor Baseball’s Offense Sputters in 6-2 Loss to Tarleton

WACO, Texas – Baylor baseball (15-26) fell in an uninspiring effort to Tarleton (22-16), 6-2, Tuesday afternoon at Baylor Ballpark.

In an overall flat performance, BU’s offense mustered only six hits and struck out 16 times. For the fourth consecutive game, the Bears racked up double-digit strikeouts.

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Baylor’s offense mustered only six hits in the defeat and struck out 16 times.

“It’s tough to win when you don’t put balls in play,” coach Mitch Thompson said after the loss.

“Tough to win when you get outplayed … We came out flat. We just never did show up, and we never got back in the game.”

Jared Matheson started on the mound for BU. The McLennan CC transfer surrendered two runs, four hits and three walks in two innings on 48 pitches.

Tarleton’s starter, Piercen McElyea, entered Tuesday’s contest with an 8.57 ERA and had allowed 21 hits and 21 walks in 21 innings pitched.

Against Baylor, McElyea had a career afternoon. The junior righty struck out 10 and gave up just three hits in five innings.

“It’s kind of how this season has been at times,” Thompson said. “You take two steps forward, one step back. Two steps forward, one step back. Today’s a day we just didn’t show up.”

Shortstop Kolby Branch, who is virtually the team leader in every offensive category for the Bears, struck out twice Tuesday. In 41 games this season, the freshman phenom has only six multi-strikeout games.

It wasn’t until the fifth inning that the BU offense finally found some success against McElyea. 

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Junior RHP Jared Matheson walked three and gave up four hits in two innings pitched in Tuesday’s loss.

Redshirt freshman 3B Jack Johnson lined a two-out single up the middle, and freshman DH Walker Polk followed by crushing his third home run of the season over the left-center field wall to cut the Tarleton lead to 4-2.

“Offensively, we just never put it together,” Thompson said.

“We kind of slept-walked through the first four innings, and then all of a sudden we’re facing a lefty and a sidearmer, and when their better guys coming out of the bullpen, it wasn’t going to happen.”

The Texans extended their lead to 6-2 with two runs in the eighth off of freshman lefty Ethan Calder.

Final: Tarleton 6 - Baylor 2

W: Piercen McElyea (2-1) L: Jared Matheson (0-1)

WHAT’S NEXT

Baylor baseball (15-26, 6-12) will welcome the surging No. 18 West Virginia Mountaineers (29-11, 8-4) to Baylor Ballpark for a weekend series. Friday’s first pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. and will be streamed on ESPN+.