Baylor Baseball Unable to Complete Sweep over Incarnate Word, Smoked 14-1 in Finale

WACO, Texas – Baylor baseball (13-18) couldn’t complete the sweep and was smoked by Incarnate Word (16-14) in eight innings in the series finale, 14-1, Sunday afternoon at Baylor Ballpark.

The Bears were outhit by the Cardinals, 13-to-6, and BU’s season-long five-game winning streak also came to an end in the loss.

“I'm very disappointed in today and how we came out and played,” head coach Mitch Thompson said after the defeat. “I'm disappointed in how we pitched. I'm disappointed in our hitters not being able to make an adjustment today, and give their guy credit, but I think that we've got to be better. I think that winning two out of three is good. But that’s not what we had an opportunity to do.”

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After putting up 28 combined runs in the last two games, the Bears mustered just one run in Sunday’s loss.

Right-handed pitcher Mason Green (Fr.) delivered 3.2 quality frames on the mound, but Baylor’s bullpen struggled on Sunday, surrendering eight runs in the middle innings. It was the first time this year that the Bears handed out double-digit walks (10).

“The next time we have a chance to sweep somebody, we have to have a hunger for that,” Thompson said. “And the next time that somebody has a chance to sweep us, we've got to show up with the determination that it's not happening. So we got a lesson today. And hopefully, we'll learn from it.”

In the fourth, Incarnate Word took its first lead since the first inning of the series opener when the nine-hole hitter, Ryder Hernandez (Jr.), lined an RBI double into the right-center field gap off righty Stephen Sepulveda (Fr.).

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Baylor’s pitching staff combined to issue out a season-high 10 walks.

The run was charged to Green who started the contest on the mound for the Bears, however. In 3.2 frames, Green allowed one earned run and four hits on 67 pitches.

Sepulveda continued to struggle in the fifth, issuing three straight free passes to load the bases before being pulled in favor of veteran righty Drew Leach (RJr.).

On Leach’s first pitch, UIW’s catcher, JD Gregson (Jr.), smoked a grand slam over the left field wall. The Cardinals added four more runs in the sixth off Leach to extend their lead to 9-0.

“We didn’t have a single guy go out on the mound out of the bullpen and pitch well, and that’s disappointing,” Thompson said. “One guy can have a bad day, but the next guy has to come in and get it done. We didn’t have any of that today, and that’s the frustrating part.”

Baylor got on the board in the sixth when designated hitter Zach Mazoch (Sr.) lined his first home run of the season over the right field wall.

Incarnate Word continued its offensive onslaught with a five-spot in the eighth, which was capped by a two-run homer from former Bear and current Cardinals center fielder Cam Caley (Sr.).

Final (8 innings): Incarnate Word 14, Baylor 1

W: Dave Johnson (3-2) L: Mason Green (1-4)

WHAT’S NEXT

Baylor baseball (13-18) will travel to face No. 8 Dallas Baptist (24-6) to open a five-game road trip. The first pitch is slated for 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday night at Horner Ballpark.