Baylor Baseball Drops Saturday Contest to No. 21 West Virginia, 5-2
MORGANTOWN, WV – Baylor baseball (19-22, 9-11) dropped its second consecutive game and fourth straight Big 12 contest with a 5-2 loss to No. 21 West Virginia (25-17, 13-7) Saturday afternoon at Kendrick Family Ballpark.
The Bears' offensive struggles continued in the defeat, picking up seven base knocks and leaving nine runners on base. Baylor was 2-for-11 with runners on, and West Virginia’s starting pitcher, Derek Clark (Sr.) allowed just two earned runs across eight innings on the mound.
When the Bears finally chased Clark out of the contest in the ninth after 127 pitches, they made things interesting with back-to-back, two-out singles from catcher Cortlan Castle (Jr.) and right fielder Enzo Apodaca (RJr.).
With the tying run at the plate and Baylor down to its final out, center fielder Ty Johnson (Jr.) lined a ball to shortstop that JJ Wetherholt (Jr.), the Preseason Big 12 Player of the Year, made a diving grab on to end the ballgame.
The Mountaineers got an early 1-0 lead when designated hitter Kyle West (Jr.) crushed a solo home run over the right field wall in the second inning off right-handed pitcher Collin McKinney (RFr.).
In the fourth, the Bears tied the game at one apiece with an RBI single through the left side from Castle to score Hunter Teplanszky (Jr.). With the bases loaded later in the inning, Johnson weakly grounded out to second base to end the frame. Baylor was 1-for-5 with runners in scoring position.
Veteran righty Patrick Hail (RJr.) entered in place of McKinney with a runner on first base and no outs in the fifth. Hail struggled to find the zone, putting two aboard to load the bases with no outs. The Mountaineers took advantage, scoring three runs in the frame to extend their lead to 4-1.
McKinney finished the contest by fanning four, issuing five walks and allowing two earned runs on 98 pitches across four innings. West Virginia added a late insurance run off lefty RJ Ruais (Fr.) in the seventh.
In the eighth, Teplanszky lined a solo shot down the left field line for his fourth home run of the season; Teplanszky is fourth on the Bears in extra-base hits (11).
Final: No. 21 West Virginia 5, Baylor 2
W: Derek Clark (5-1) L: Collin McKinney (3-4)
POTG: Cortlan Castle (2-for-4, RBI)
WHAT’S NEXT
Baylor baseball (19-22, 9-11) will finish its series against the No. 21 West Virginia Mountaineers (25-16, 13-7) at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday at Kendrick Family Ballpark.