Baylor Keeps Postseason Hopes Alive, Salvages Series against TCU with 6-3 Win in Finale

FORT WORTH, Texas – Baylor baseball (27-16, 9-12) kept its postseason hopes alive and salvaged its series against rival TCU (31-13, 14-7) with a 6-3 win in the finale on Sunday afternoon at Lupton Stadium.

Second baseman Travis Sanders (RSo.) went 3-for-5 with an RBI, and center fielder Ty Johnson (Sr.) went 2-for-4 and collected the game-sealing two-run single in the sixth inning.

Righties Lucas Davenport (RSo.) and Gabe Craig (RSr.) combined for 5.2 scoreless frames out of the bullpen and didn’t issue a single walk. Craig recorded his seventh save of the season and struck out five across two innings.

Baylor’s pitching staff handed out just two free passes while the defense didn’t record an error. The Bears also out-hit TCU, 11-to-10, and were 4-for-12 with runners in scoring position and 6-for-18 with runners on.

“They played with a lot of freedom today, and there are so many heroes from the game,” head coach Mitch Thompson said post-game. “You have Scoob with the big two-run triple. You have TyJo with the big two-run, two-out single to extend the lead. I thought the pitching was phenomenal.”

Catcher Karson Bowen (Jr.) cranked a double to right-center field to lead off the bottom of the first inning. Bowen was bunted over and brought home on an RBI sacrifice fly from second baseman Cole Cramer (Sr.). Cramer was 5-for-10 at the plate with three RBIs on the weekend.

Baylor Athletics - Jack Compton

RHP Lucas Davenport (RSo.) and RHP Gabe Craig (RSr.) combined to strike out seven and didn’t allow a run across 5.2 frames out of the bullpen.

In the third inning, Johnson picked up his first hit of the series with a leadoff infield single perfectly placed between the mound and first base. Later in the inning, a pitch beamed Enzo Apodaca (RSr.), and Sanders and Tyriq Kemp (Sr.) delivered back-to-back RBI base knocks, giving the Bears their first lead of the weekend.

With runners on the corners and one out, designated hitter Hunter Simmons (RSr.) crushed a two-run triple off the right field wall to extend Baylor’s lead to 4-1. Simmons led the team with six RBIs in the series.

On Simmons’ extra-base hit, TCU’s right fielder and likely Big 12 Freshman of the Year, Sawyer Strosnider (Fr.), crashed into the outfield wall and dropped to his knees with an apparent injury. Center fielder Chase Brunson (So.) had to run over to throw the ball back into play, and Simmons was thrown out trying to stretch his triple into an inside-the-park home run.

TCU pieced together three straight singles to start the fourth inning, cutting Calder’s afternoon short after 3.1 frames. Davenport entered into a bases-loaded jam, surrendered an infield single, but got the final two outs and held Baylor’s lead at 4-3.

In 3.1 innings on the mound, Calder surrendered six hits, three earned runs, two walks and struck out four on 75 pitches. Davenport, meanwhile, had his best outing of the season out of the bullpen, allowing just three hits across 3.2 innings and striking out two on 38 pitches without issuing a free pass.

“Calder battled his tail off; I hated to get him that early, but it was time,” Thompson said. “Davenport limited the damage and was fantastic for the next three innings. It was so hard for me to pull him, too, because he was so good and they weren’t getting many good swings, but when you have Gabe Craig down here, you don’t want to be losing with Gabe down here — I had bullets in the gun.”

With two runners in scoring position in the sixth inning, Jack Little (RSo.) popped up to the shortstop, but Johnson, who was down 1-2 in the count, came through again and poked a two-run, two-out single through the right side, extending Baylor’s lead to 6-3.

The two runs were the only thing the Bears could get going against left-handed pitcher Mason Brassfield (Fr.), who allowed six hits and struck out six across six frames.

Final: Baylor 6, TCU 3

W: Lucas Davenport (3-1) L: Trevor Baumler (2-4) S: Gabe Craig (7)

POTG: Lucas Davenport (3.2 IP, 0 ER, 0 R, 3 H, 2 K, 0 BB, 14 BF, 38 TP, 30 ST)

WHAT’S NEXT

The Bears (27-16) will travel to Huntsville to face Sam Houston (9-35) on Tuesday, April 29, at 6 p.m. at Don Sanders Stadium. The game will be streamed on ESPN+.