SALT LAKE CITY – Baylor baseball (26-26-12-16) opened its final series of the regular season with an 8-7 road defeat to Utah (26-22, 12-16) on Thursday night at America First Ballpark.
Shortstop Travis Sanders (RJr.) led the Bears with a 3-for-5 performance at the plate, hitting a home run and scoring two runs in the loss. Right fielder Brady Janusek (Fr.) went 1-for-3 and crushed a two-run moonshot in the ninth inning — his 12th of the season — to break Max Muncy’s program record for home runs from a freshman.
Infielders Pearson Riebock (So.) and Cole Lanclos (Fr.) also homered in the defeat, but the Bears totaled 15 punchouts as a team and didn’t have a base-runner reach across the fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth innings.
“We went about four innings in a row and didn’t do a whole lot,” head coach Mitch Thompson said to the Baylor Sports and Media Network post-game. “Their guy was good, and he kept us off balance. He threw that slider, and we chased it a lot. That was disappointing. I’m glad we got the two runs there at the last minute, but every one of them counts. We’ve got to keep fighting every inning, and we’re working at it.”
The Utes out-hit Baylor in the contest, 14-to-11, and crushed right-handed pitcher Lucas Davenport (RJr.), who allowed a season-high 12 base knocks and eight earned runs across 4.2 frames. Relievers RJ Ruais (Jr.) and Charlie Atkinson (Jr.) combined for 3.1 scoreless innings out of the bullpen.
“RJ did a nice job, and then Charlie battled through that, after he struggled with the walks and came up with the big strikeout,” Thompson said. “The bullpen did a nice job and gave us three innings of scoreless ball to keep us in it and give the offense a chance to do it. This is an offensive place to hit. If you want to win, you’re going to have to out-hit them to win.”
Both starting pitchers on Friday were getting shelled early and often as Davenport and Utah’s Colter McAnelly (Jr.) combined to surrender five earned runs apiece before the Utes added a three-spot off Davenport in the fifth inning to take an 8-5 lead.
With McAnelly out of the contest, the Bears were shut down by Utah reliever Demitri Diamant (Jr.), who didn’t allow a base-runner until Sanders legged out a single to shortstop in the top of the ninth; Diamant totaled a career-high eight punchouts across 3.2 innings of work.
Trailing by three, Janusek tagged a hanging breaking ball 422-feet over the wall in left-center field to break Muncy’s freshman home run record, while trimming the Utes’ lead to 8-7.
“I’m happy for Brady,” Thompson said. “He’s had a great freshman year for us. For him to get 12 is a great testament to him and his work ethic. It reminds you of Max Muncy and how great he was. It says good things about where we hope Brady is going to go in the next couple of years.”
In the following at-bat, left fielder Dylan Perez (Fr.) drew a two-out walk to put the tying runner aboard, but designated hitter Hunter Snow (RFr.) grounded out to end the contest.
Final: Utah 8, Baylor 7
W: Colter McAnelly (4-2) L: Lucas Davenport (5-4) S: Justin Abercombie (3)
POTG: Travis Sanders (3-for-5, 2 R, RBI, HR)
What’s Next
The Bears (26-26-12-16) will continue their series against Utah (26-22, 12-16) at 7 p.m. CT on Friday, May 15, at America First Ballpark. The game will be streamed on ESPN+.
