Baylor Baseball Opens Conference Play with Narrow Loss to Houston, 4-3

HOUSTON – In Houston's (9-4, 1-0) inaugural Big 12 contest, Baylor baseball (4-9, 0-1) couldn’t play spoiler and walked away with a 4-3 loss on Friday night at Schroeder Park.

In the defeat, the Bears racked up almost as many errors (4) as they did base hits (5). Outside of a three-spot from the Cougars in the fourth inning, Baylor’s combined pitching efforts from Mason Marriott (Jr.), Patrick Hail (RJr.) and Ethan Calder (So.) were fantastic. However, the offense didn’t take advantage of its opportunities and went 2-for-14 with runners on and 1-for-5 with runners in scoring position. 

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Across 5.1 innings tossed, Friday’s starter, Mason Marriott (Jr.), struck out four and allowed eight hits and four earned runs on 95 pitches.

“I don’t think we played well,” head coach Mitch Thompson said after the loss. “There were a couple of things there that come back to you in a tight ballgame, especially on a Friday night. When you look back at it, there are two or three things that you have opportunities to do good things with, and we just didn’t get it done.”

Just minutes into the contest, the Bears found themselves with the bases loaded and one out against Houston’s ace, Jaxon Jelkin (Jr.). Second baseman Daniel Altman (Jr.) grounded into an RBI fielder’s choice to give Baylor an early 1-0 lead. Later in the frame, Altman attempted a delayed steal to score to Hunter Teplanszky (Jr.) from third base but the umpires somewhat controversially ruled that the run didn’t score before Altman was tagged out.

After three scoreless frames, Marriott struggled to command the zone and ran into trouble in the fourth. After putting two Cougars aboard with free passes, left-fielder Ace Reese (Fr.) blooped an RBI single into left field. Marriott then issued another walk to load the bases with two outs, and shortstop Jake Rainess (Sr.) lined a go-ahead two-run single into left field.

The Bears responded in the fifth when right fielder Enzo Apodaca (RJr.) and designated hitter Wesley Jordan (Jr.) smoked back-to-back RBI doubles down the left-field line to tie the game at three apiece.

Houston reclaimed the lead, 4-3, in the bottom of the frame with a two-out RBI single up the middle from right fielder Tre Jones (Sr.). An inning later in the sixth, left fielder Kade Fletcher (RJr.) dropped a routine fly ball at the warning track, but Hail, the veteran righty, entered from the bullpen and got the Bears out of the jam.

Marriott’s night ended at 5.1 innings tossed; he struck out four and allowed eight hits and four earned runs on 95 pitches.

Out of the bullpen for Baylor, Hail and Calder combined for four strikeouts and 2.2 scoreless frames to leave the door open for BU’s offense.

However, after the Bears knocked Jelkin out in the fifth inning, the arms out of the Cougars’ bullpen were electric. Veteran reliever Kyle LeCalmeto (Sr.) threw 3.2 one-hit innings in relief, and lefty Jose Torrealba (Sr.) closed out the game with his second save of the season. LeCalmeto and Torrealba allowed just two total baserunners in the final 4.2 combined innings on the mound.

“Well-pitched game,” Thompson said. “[Houston’s] guys were really good. The left-hander that came out of the bullpen was fantastic. The guy that finished it off has a really nice arm. It’s a Friday night in the Big 12; that’s what it’s going to be – you’re going to have to beat somebody pretty good.”

Final: Houston 4 - Baylor 3

W: Kyle LeCalameto (1-0) L: Mason Marriott (0-2) S: Jose Torrealba (2)

POTG: Enzo Apodaca (2-for-3; R, RBI, 2B)

WHAT’S NEXT

Baylor baseball (4-9) will continue its series against Houston (9-4) on Saturday. First pitch is slated for 6:30 p.m. at Schroeder Park and will be streamed on ESPN+.