Bats Lead Baylor Baseball Past Lamar for First Win of Season, 11-5

WACO, Texas – Baylor baseball (1-3) picked up its first win of the year with an 11-5 defeat of Lamar (2-2) Tuesday evening at Baylor Ballpark.

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RF Enzo Apodaca (RJr.) and 3B Hunter Teplanszky (Jr.) combined to go 6-for-9 with four RBIs at the plate in the win.

Right fielder Enzo Apodaca (Jr.) and third baseman Hunter Teplanszky (Jr.) led the Bears' offensive outpouring and combined to go 6-for-9 with four RBIs at the plate in the win. Righty Tanner Duke (RFr.) got the start on the bump and became the sixth BU freshman pitcher to make their debut so far this season.

Baylor’s top of the lineup – Apodaca, Teplanszky and center fielder Ty Johnson (Jr.) – each opened the contest with back-to-back-to-back singles.

With the bases loaded and no outs, left fielder Hunter Simmons (Sr.) smoked a 373-foot shot over the left field wall to put the Bears on the board, 4-0. Baylor’s four first-inning runs came off just seven pitchers from Lamar starter Peyton Havard (Jr.).

“It was great to see us come out of the chute again and to start off the game single-single-single-bomb was fantastic,” head coach Mitch Thompson said after the victory.

In the second, Lamar’s pitching staff handed out a combined four free passes, and both Johnson and designated hitter Wesley Jordan (Jr.) picked up an RBI fielder’s choice in the inning to extend Baylor’s lead to 7-0.

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Righty Tanner Duke (RFr.) surrendered one earned run and walked three in his collegiate debut Tuesday afternoon.

The bats stayed hot in the third when Apodaca and Teplanszky both added their first homers of the season. 

On the mound, Duke had an up-and-down collegiate debut. While he surrendered just three hits and an earned run, Duke struggled to throw strikes consistently, walking three and hitting another batter across 2.1 innings of work – 26 of his 55 total pitches didn’t find the zone.

“It was good to get Tanner Duke out there for the start,” Thompson said. “I wish we could have left him out there a little longer and had a little better success throwing strikes and commanding the zone. It’s his first time, so hopefully it’ll get better [moving forward].”

In his second appearance this season, righty Drew Leach (RJr.) threw 2.2 no-hit innings out of the bullpen. Lefty Jackson Elizondo (Fr.) entered in the seventh and allowed back-to-back homers from Lamar’s designated hitter River Orsak (Sr.) and first baseman Brayden Evans (Jr.).

Later in the inning, Elizondo allowed another run-scoring extra-base hit and was pulled in favor of right-handed pitcher Stephen Sepulveda (Fr.). Sepulveda picked up the final out of the frame, but not before Lamar was able to cut Baylor’s lead to 10-5.

Apodaca continued his hot streak with an RBI single that scored catcher Brayden Buchanan (Fr.) in the bottom of the seventh to give Baylor a comfortable 11-5 lead. Aside from the lone score in the seventh, the Bears didn’t pick up any other run over the final five frames.

“The first three innings were really good offensively; the next five were not so good,” Thompson said. “When you get a team down, I want us to have the maturity level, drive and focus on continuing to put our foot on their throat and end the game. We kind of went through the motions in the middle parts of the game. That part of it is disappointing. … The first part was fantastic; the rest of the game left a little to be desired.”

Veteran righty Gabe Craig (RJr.) closed out the ninth with three strikeouts.

Final: Baylor 11 - Lamar 5

W: Drew Leach (1-0) L: Peyton Havard (1-1)

POTG: Enzo Apodaca (4-for-5; HR, 3 RBI, 3 R)

WHAT’S NEXT

Baylor baseball (1-3) will welcome the No. 23 Indiana Hoosiers (2-1) to Waco for a weekend series. First pitch for Friday’s opener is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. and will be streamed on ESPN+.