BYU Evens Series with 10-4 Win Over Baylor, Snaps Bears’ Big 12 Streak

WACO, Texas – Baylor baseball (17-13, 6-5) had its four-game winning streak in Big 12 play broken and its series evened with BYU (14-15, 5-6) following a 10-4 defeat on Friday afternoon at Baylor Ballpark.

After a 13-hit, 12-run offensive outpouring in the series opener, Baylor’s success didn’t carry over as the Bears were out-hit 13-to-9, and went with 2-for-18 (.111) runners on and 1-for-9 (.111) with runners in scoring position.

Catcher JJ Kennett (Jr.), center fielder Ty Johnson (5Sr.) and first baseman Tyce Armstrong (RSr.) each recorded multi-hit contests, with Armstrong and right fielder Brady Janusek (Fr.) both homering in the loss.

Right-handed pitcher Zack Wallace (So.) made his third start of the season and surrendered seven hits and five runs, four of which were earned. Baylor’s bullpen allowed five runs in five innings of work.

“We didn’t hit enough balls hard; we seemed to start rallies with two outs and nobody on base, and we’d get a few guys on but then the third out happens,” head coach Mitch Thompson said post-game.

Thompson continued, “I didn’t think we played exceptionally good defense today. We had three errors, and those came back to hurt us. We didn’t play as well as they did today. They pitched it a little bit better. They swung it a little bit better. They played a little bit better defense.”

A leadoff single and an error put two Cougars aboard in the top of the first inning against Wallace. Third baseman Easton Jones (Sr.) poked an RBI single through the left side of the infield, and center fielder Tu’alu Wolfgramm (So.) followed with a two-run triple off the left field wall, putting BYU ahead 3-0 for its first lead of the series.

Baylor had runners in scoring position in both the first and second innings, but couldn’t take advantage. It wasn’t until the bottom of the third when the Bears got on the board via a solo home run from Janusek — his eighth of the season.

Later in the frame, Armstrong reached on a single and came around to score on a wild pitch, and Johnson tied the game with an RBI single into left field; Johnson finished the contest 3-for-5 at the plate.

Just when Baylor seemed to take back the momentum, the Cougars added two solo shots in the fourth inning off Wallace. In the top of the fifth, southpaw Stefan Stahl (Sr.) replaced Wallace, and another BYU run came around to score on an errant throw from second baseman Brytton Clements (RFr.) — the Bears finished the game with three errors.

Later in the frame, Stahl, who had just returned from missing a month with an undisclosed arm injury, exited the contest with the trainer after just 18 pitches. Righty Brayden Bergman (RFr.) took over for an injured Stahl and allowed one run across 1.1 frames.

The Bears had a chance to make things interesting with two runners in scoring position and one out in the bottom of the sixth, but Sanders and Janusek both went down swinging. Baylor had two more runners aboard in the seventh, but Kennett grounded out to third base to end the frame.

BYU reliever Nate Gray (Jr.) dominated the Bears out of the bullpen, throwing 6.2 innings and allowing just one run to go along with five strikeouts on a season-high 122 pitches.

“He was attacking the strike zone and has good movement on his fastball,” Thompson said of Gray. “He’s a very competitive guy. At times, he’s struggled throwing strikes, but today was not one of them. When he’s in there in the zone, he’s very tough. You hope he can run himself into trouble, and it just didn’t happen today.”

The Cougars sealed it with two insurance runs in the eighth inning off veteran righty Grayson Murry (Sr.) to extend their lead to 9-3. Murry’s ERA sits at 6.75 on the season.

Final: BYU 10, Baylor 4

W: Nate Gray (5-5) L: Zack Wallace (3-2)

POTG: Ty Johnson (3-for-5, RBI)

What’s Next

The Bears (17-13, 6-5) will finish the series against BYU (14-15, 5-6) tomorrow, Saturday, April 4, at Baylor Ballpark. The series finale is slated for 1 p.m. and will likely be pushed back to a later start time due to inclement weather. The game will be streamed on ESPN+.