Baylor Baseball Sweeps Air Force, Finishes Series with Doubleheader Wins

WACO, Texas – Baylor baseball (9–6) finished off a three-game sweep of Air Force (3–11) on Sunday, defeating the Falcons in both games of a doubleheader by scores of 5-4 and 6-1. respectively.

Right-fielder Brady Janusek (Fr.) lifted the Bears’ offense on Sunday, going 4-for-8 at the plate with a home run and a double across the two wins.

Air Force narrowly out-hit Baylor, 18-to-16, across the doubleheader, but the Bears were able to make the Falcons pay with runners in scoring position, going 5-for-15 as a team.

On the mound, save a three-run ninth inning in the first game of the doubleheader, the Bears’ pitching staff limited the Falcons to just one measly run across the rest of the 16 innings. Defensively, Baylor had totaled just one error on Sunday.

“Our hitters did a nice job this weekend; they made some adjustments this week,” head coach Mitch Thompson told the Baylor Sports and Media network post-game. “There are some good arms over there from the Air Force, and our guys continued to battle. We still have some work to do, but our offense is coming along. We have more options.”

Thompson later added, “I hate these doubleheaders. I was disappointed that we started yesterday’s game like that and had to delay it, but I’m really proud of the way we played defense, and I’m proud of the way we pitched and competed.

Game 1 of Doubleheader (Game 2 in the Series)

After getting just an inning and a half in on Saturday night before storms reached Waco, the Bears and Falcons resumed play on Sunday in the bottom of the second inning.

Baylor knotted the game up one apiece in the third inning following back-to-back singles from third baseman Brytton Clements (RFr.) and second baseman Robert De La Garza (Jr.) and an RBI ground out from shortstop Travis Sanders (RJr.). In his second start of the season, De La Garza went 2-for-3 at the plate and scored a run.

With the bases juiced and no outs in the following frame, catcher Brayden Buchanan (RSo.) grounded into a double play, but a run was able to score. 

The Bears hung a crooked number in the fifth inning, as Sanders crushed an RBI double into the right-center gap, while Janusek launched a two-run home run — his third long ball of the season — 431-feet over the left field wall and onto Betty Lou Mays Soccer Field.

The Bears got great contributions on the mound, as Zack Wallace (So.) and Grayson Murry (Sr.) combined for five shutout innings and four punchouts. The Falcons totaled just two base knocks in that span.

Left-handed pitcher RJ Ruais (Jr.) entered in place of Murry in the eighth inning and was a little shaky but benefited from a pair of great defensive plays from Sanders and left fielder Caleb Bergman (Sr.), who gunned down a runner at home.

Ruais came back out for the ninth and surrendered two more hits, and an error from Sanders made things interesting. Veteran righty Caleb Bunch (5Sr.) entered out of the bullpen to get the Bears out of the jam, but allowed two runs to score, both of which were charged to Ruais.

With the tying run at third base and two outs, Bunch was able to pick off a Falcon in between first and second base to secure the Bears’ narrow win.

“Those guys showed us a great fight, especially in that second game,” outfielder Ty Johnson (5Sr.) said post-game. “You’re never too far ahead. You’re never too far behind. It was a good lesson for us to learn in that second game, but a win’s a win and a sweep’s a sweep.”

Final: Baylor 5, Air Force 4

W: Zack Wallace (1-0) L: Jordan Watkins (0-2) S: Caleb Bunch (1)

POTG: Brady Janusek (2-for-4, 2 R, 2 RBI, HR)

Game 2 of Doubleheader (Game 3 in the Series)

The final game of the series surprisingly shaped up into a pitcher’s duel to start, as both pitchers, Baylor’s Ethan Calder (Sr.) and Air Force’s Bowen Brantingham (Jr.), combined to allow just three runs across the first four frames.

In the bottom of the fifth, however, the Bears broke the game open with a four-spot, all four of which came with two outs.

It started when Johnson sliced an RBI single into center field, and the heart of the order followed with back-to-back-to-back base knocks from first baseman Tyce Armstrong (RSr.), Janusek and designated hitter Hunter Snow (RFr.). Later in the frame, third baseman Cade Dodson (So.) drew a five-pitch walk to extend Baylor’s lead to 6-1.

“It was a two-out rally that just continued on and continued on,” Thompson said. “TyJo had the big two-out hit. Tyce followed it up, and then Janny beat one out. Snow had another one. It was really a good bunch of at-bats. Anytime you can extend an inning and give your guys a chance, it’s a big deal. These guys were fighting every pitch, and it was fun to watch.”

Calder cruised the rest of the way, retiring eight of the last nine batters he faced. His evening was finished after five innings, where he allowed just one earned run and struck out four.

Relievers Charlie Atkinson (Jr.), Luke McLeod (Fr.) and Luke DeVasher (Jr.) combined for a solid 3.1 scoreless frames out of the bullpen while allowing just two hits. Right-handed pitcher Cole Lanclos (Fr.) also made his collegiate debut and recorded two outs.

Final: Baylor 6, Air Force 1

W: Ethan Calder (1-1) L: Bowen Brantingham (0-2)

POTG: Ethan Calder (5 IP, 6 H, R, ER, BB, 4 K, 20 BF, 74 TP, 49 ST)

What’s Next

The Bears (9-6) will face Sam Houston State (8-7) at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 10, at Baylor Ballpark. The game will be streamed on ESPN+.