WATCH: No. 18 Baseball Handles SFA in 10-0 Run-Rule Victory
WACO, Texas – The No. 18 Bears took care of business Tuesday night against SFA, winning a 10-0 run-rule ballgame under the lights at Baylor Ballpark.
Three Baylor pitchers combined for the seven-inning shutout, holding the Lumberjacks to just three hits, while the Bears’ offense tallied 15 hits and scored in six of the seven innings played.
Andy Thomas and Shea Langeliers recorded seven hits between the two of them and drove in five of Baylor’s 10 runs.
Baylor (27-12) jumped out to an early lead thanks to an RBI single by Thomas that was part of a three-hit bottom of the first inning. A Cole Haring RBI knock in the bottom of the second made it 2-0 and the Bears never looked back.
BU added another run in the third as Davion Downey drove in Thomas on a fielder’s choice and the Bears scored once more in the fifth on a Langeliers base hit that pushed the lead to 4-0.
In the sixth, Baylor scored one run off an SFA error before Langeliers unloaded a three-run shot that nearly hit the scoreboard beyond the left-center wall, increasing the lead to 8-0.
Davis Wendzel provided the game-ending hit, an pop up that fell between two SFA infielders which allowed Chase Wehsener and Richard Cunningham to cross the plate.
SFA (18-23) never had a baserunner reach third base. The trio of Blake Helton, Tyler Thomas and Daniel Caruso combined to strike out five in seven scoreless, Baylor’s sixth shutout of the season.
Helton (2-2) earned the win while SFA starter Joseph Sgambelluri (1-4) was hit with the loss.
The Bears will return to action this weekend for a three-game series at TCU.
NOTES
*The Bears improve to 29-0 all-time against SFA, including a 25-0 record against the Lumberjacks in Waco.
*Baylor is now 7-2 in midweek games this season and 34-12 all-time in midweek contests under fourth-year head coach Steve Rodriguez.
*This is Baylor’s sixth shutout of 2019.
*The Bears have won four consecutive home games.
*Baylor outhit its opponent for the 30th time this season. The Bears have done so in 25 of their 27 victories in 2019.
*The Bears are now 17-6 in games in which they score first.
*The Bears tallied double-digit hits for the 24th time this season.
*131 of Baylor’s 273 total runs in 2019 have come with two outs, including seven of 10 scored in tonight’s game.
*Baylor has hit 178 home runs in 206 games under Rodriguez, including 40 in 39 games this season.
*Shea Langeliers crushed his fourth home run of the season and 25th of his career.
*Davis Wendzel extended his on-base streak to 20 games and his hit streak to 11 games.
*Richard Cunningham extended his hit streak to 11 games.
*Andy Thomas extended his hit streak to 11 games.
*Langeliers has a nine-game hit streak.
*Langeliers tied his career high with four RBI.
*Langeliers has now thrown out 11 would-be-base stealers this season. He has caught the last three consecutive attempts and has not allowed a stolen base since March 30.
*Blake Helton made his third start of the season and threw three scoreless innings.
*Tyler Thomas made his 10th appearance of 2019 and pitched two scoreless innings with three punchouts.
*Daniel Caruso made his 19th appearance of the season, working a scoreless two innings with two strikeouts.
STAT OF THE DAY
6 – The Bears scored in six of the seven innings played tonight and also earned their sixth shutout victory of the season.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
On the performances of Langeliers and Thomas in the middle of the lineup…
"It took a while for Shea [Langeliers] to get his timing down and he has really worked on his swing, in regards to making sure it is good, and watching him hit a ball like the one he hit tonight is really impressive. But Andy’s [Thomas] swing is such that he can hit anybody at any time, and it’s just a matter of his timing but he’s on plane so quick and for so long that it makes it easier for him to be able to get hits. It’s just a matter of swinging at strikes at that point. But both of those guys in the middle of our lineup bring a pretty special offensive power and attitude and approach that opposing teams really have to figure out and be careful of what they’re doing.
- Baylor head coach Steve Rodriguez
WHAT'S NEXT
The Bears will travel up I-35 to take on rival TCU in a three-game series in Fort Worth. Game one is set for Friday, April 26 at 6:30 p.m.