Janusek’s Eighth-Inning Heist Seals Baylor’s Midweek Thriller over SFA, 9-8

WACO, Texas – Baylor baseball (5-3) got back in the win column with a thrilling 9-8 midweek victory over Stephen F. Austin (7-3) on Tuesday evening at Baylor Ballpark.

The Bears hit three home runs in the win and stole five bases, including a game-winning swipe of home plate by outfielder Brady Janusek (Fr.) in the eighth inning. Janusek, as well as first baseman Tyce Armstrong (RSr.) and shortstop Travis Sanders (RJr.), combined for six RBIs and eight of Baylor’s 10 base knocks.

“We had a good approach, and our guys took good at-bats,” head coach Mitch Thompson told the Baylor Sports Media Network post-game. We swung the bats well. I loved coming out and seeing us hit the ball out of the ballpark a couple of times. I thought that was big-time.”

He continued, “We ended up winning the ball game because we were able to run the bases and do some things there at the end. We need to be able to score anyway we can. Steal bags and take advantage of our speed, use our athleticism and swing the bats when we get chances.”

On the mound, it was an up-and-down performance for Baylor as righties Zack Wallace (So.) and Caleb Bunch (5Sr.) were stellar to start and finish the game. In the middle innings, however, the Bears saw some of their new arms — Cayden Baker (RFr.), Cade Waibel (Jr.) and Luke McLeod (Fr.) — really struggle.

That trio of Baker, Waibel and McLeod surrendered a combined eight runs, eight hits and four free passes, which nearly handed Baylor its second midweek loss across the past seasons.

“On Tuesdays, anything can happen, and we’re trying to get other guys out there and trying to extend our depth on our mound,” Thompson said. “We need guys to step up when they get those opportunities, and some are, and some are struggling, but we’ll keep working. Tuesdays are always tough, and today, with the wind blowing out, you knew you never had enough.”

The Bears have scored in the first inning in five of their eight games so far on the young season, and it didn’t take long to get on the board Tuesday, as Janusek blasted a ball over the right field wall to lead off the contest. Later in the frame, Armstrong rocketed his fourth home run of the season to give Baylor an early 2-0 lead.

The Bears posted a three-spot in the third inning to extend their lead to 5-0, following an RBI double from Armstrong, and a towering two-run homer into the Brazos River, courtesy of left fielder Hunter Snow (RFr.); it was Snow’s first career long ball.

Following three scoreless innings from Tuesday’s starting pitcher, Wallace, right-hander Brayden Bergman (RFr.) entered the contest and tossed a scoreless frame; Bergman, who is coming back from an injury, has yet to allow a run in two performances so far this spring.

In the top of the fifth inning, Baylor’s comfortable lead got cut into when Cayden Baker (RFr.) surrendered back-to-back two-out walks and then a three-run homer to SFA’s center fielder Cermodrick Bland (So.), the reigning Southland Conference Freshman of the Year.

The Bears responded with a three-spot of their own in the bottom of the fifth, powered by a back-to-back RBI doubles from Sanders and Armstrong; Armstrong currently leads the team with 19 RBIs, while Sanders leads the team with a .448 batting average and four multi-hit contests.

The Lumberjacks refused to go down without a fight and tied the game, 8-8, in the sixth inning with a crooked frame off of Baylor reliever Cade Waibel (Jr.). The MCC transfer surrendered five runs in the inning — three hits and two walks — and only got two outs.

While it looked shaky for a while there, Janusek calmed the waters for the Bears with a sharp leadoff single in the bottom of the eighth, giving the freshman right fielder the first three-hit game of his young career. 

After advancing to second base on a sac-bunt, an SFA error, plus a litany of chaos on the basepaths in the inning, gave Baylor back the lead, 9-8, when Janusek stole home plate on a perfectly executed double steal.

Meanwhile, Bunch, one of the Bears’ most reliable relievers, made quick work of the Lumberjacks, tossing 1.2 scoreless frames without allowing a base-runner to earn the win and secure the Baylor victory.

Final: Baylor 9, Stephen F. Austin 8

W: Caleb Bunch (2-1) L: Elian Balmaceda (1-1)

POTG: Brady Janusek (3-for-5, 3 R, RBI, HR, SB)

What’s Next

The Bears (5-3) will head to Houston this weekend and will open the Bruce Bolt Classic against No. 25 Ole Miss (8-0) at 3 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 27, at Dalkin Park. The game will be streamed for free via the Houston Astros YouTube channel.