Baylor baseball sweeps Memphis in four game series, plate 42 runs
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WACO, Texas – Baylor baseball secured its first four-game sweep since 2011 after the 8-7 win over Memphis at Baylor Ballpark on Sunday. The Bears (7-4) led for the whole game against the Tigers (4-5).
FRIDAY - Baylor 5, Memphis 4
Baylor baseball pulled out a gritty 5-4 win over Memphis, in the first game of the four-game series at Baylor Ballpark on Friday night. The Bears (4-4) jumped to a 3-1 edge in the first inning and managed to hold on to defeat the Tigers (4-2).
The Bears gave up a run early in the first, but soon took the lead in the bottom of the frame. Fifth-year senior catcher Andy Thomas hit an RBI-single to tie things up. Later in the inning, fourth-year junior Davion Downey came up big with an RBI-single to score two and give the Bears the 3-1 advantage.
Baylor added to its lead in the bottom of the fourth, when second-year freshman Jared McKenzie hit a sacrifice fly into centerfield allowing Downey to score and extend the Baylor lead to 4-1.
The Bears gave up two solo home runs in the sixth and seventh, as the BU lead trimmed to 4-3. In the home-half of the seventh, third baseman Esteban Cardoza-Oquendo hit an RBI-single, to push the lead to 5-3.
The Tigers added a run in the eighth, but it was not enough as a strikeout and runner caught stealing in the ninth ended the game, with Baylor on top, 5-4.
In his first win of the season, starter Blake Helton (1-1) threw for a career-high six innings, while allowing two runs on four hits and tying a career-best with six strikeouts. Memphis’ Blake Wimberley (0-1) was tabbed with the loss, as BU’s fifth-year senior Luke Boyd (1) shut the door with his first save of the season.
SATURDAY
The Baylor baseball team dominated the Saturday doubleheader against Memphis with a 9-0 shutout victory in the first game and a 20-4 beatdown in the second at Baylor Ballpark. The Bears (6-4) clinched the series win over the Tigers (4-4) and will go for the four-game sweep tomorrow afternoon.
GAME 1 (7 innings) - Baylor 9, Memphis 0
The Bears started the game with two infield singles from second-year freshmen Jared McKenzie and Tre Richardson, followed by a dropped fly ball by the Memphis right fielder to give BU the early 1-0 advantage.
In the third, BU added to its lead after fifth-year senior Andy Thomas smoked a ball past the second baseman to score McKenzie from third. Second-year freshman Kyle Nevin followed it up with his first double of the year to set up second and third, one out. In the next at-bat, newcomer Jack Pineda singled to score Thomas and Nevin to give the Bears the 4-0 edge.
A flurry of singles in the sixth added to the Baylor lead as Thomas and Nevin used base hits to score one apiece. The Tigers then walked three batters with the bases loaded to push the BU lead to 9-0, the eventual final.
Tyler Thomas (1-0) dominated as the lefty tied his career-high with six scoreless innings pitched while striking out a career-best nine batters. Thomas only allowed two hits and three walks in the game. Memphis starter Chris Durham (0-1) finished with the loss.
GAME 2 - Baylor 20, Memphis 4
McKenzie started off the bottom of the first inning with his fifth home run of the season to left-center field to put Baylor up 1-0.
Later in the third, it was McKenzie again this time with a triple off the center field wall followed by Pineda bringing him home with a groundout. The Bears added another run in the frame after Richardson was hit by a pitch and advanced to third after two wild pitches. Third baseman Esteban Cardoza-Oquendo hit the sac fly to make it 3-0 in favor of BU.
The Tigers took the lead in the fourth after putting up a four-spot, before the Bears opened up the flood gates. After a throwing error and groundout to score two, BU got back-to-back doubles from outfielders Davion Downey and Jacob Schoenvogel to run up the score to 8-0. Third-year sophomore Chase Wehsener singled up the middle to make it 9-0 going into the sixth.
The Bears were far from done putting numbers on the board. In the sixth, Baylor exploded for another eight runs after Memphis walked five batters in the inning. Thomas, Downey and Richardson all had RBI base knocks to run up the score to 17-4.
Baylor piled on three more runs in the eighth with a Richardson single and error, followed by a Kyle Harper single to right field to make it 20-4, the eventual final.
In a relief effort, fifth-year senior Jimmy Winston (1-1) earned the win after throwing four scoreless innings and striking out a season-best six batters. The Tigers’ Jackson Cothren (0-1) came up with the loss.
SUNDAY - Baylor 8, Memphis 7
Baylor baseball secured its first four-game sweep since 2011 after the 8-7 win over Memphis at Baylor Ballpark on Sunday. The Bears (7-4) led for the whole game against the Tigers (4-5).
In the first two innings, the Bears kept the Tigers off the scoreboard and followed with a string of runs in the first and second frames. Courtesy of Andy Thomas’ RBI in the first, and a Chase Wehsener RBI-single and Jared McKenzie RBI-single in the second, Baylor went up 3-0.
In the third inning, the Bears gave up a two-run home run to Memphis, but Baylor answered back with two runs of its own. A single by Esteban Cardoza-Oquendo combined with a Memphis field error and another Wehsener RBI-single put Baylor back up by three runs.
Baylor stacked onto its lead with the addition of two runs, with an RBI sac fly from Thomas and an RBI-single from Davion Downey in the fourth inning making the score 7-2.
In the top of the fifth, the Bears gave up a run to the Tigers, however, two innings later, Jack Pineda hit an RBI-double to make it 8-3.
The Bears let one run get by in the eighth and two more in the ninth before bringing in reliever Luke Boyd to close things out. The Bears came up with a double play to end the game, 8-7.
Boyd (2) earned his second save of the season, while reliever Jacob Ashkinos (1-0) came up with his first win of the year after throwing 1.1 innings of work. Memphis’ Landon Kelly (1-1) was tabbed with the loss.