Baylor baseball sweeps Xavier, extends winning streak to eight games

WACO, Texas — The Baylor baseball team extended its win streak to eight games and completed the sweep after shutting out Xavier, 10-0, on Sunday at Baylor Ballpark. The Bears (10-4) swept their second-consecutive weekend series with today’s victory over the Musketeers (3-7).

FRIDAY - Baylor 7, Xavier 3

Thanks to a four-run eighth inning, Baylor baseball defeated Xavier at Baylor Ballpark on Friday night. The Bears (8-4) defeated the Musketeers (3-5) in the first-ever meeting between the two programs.

The offenses were slow to start for both sides, until second-year freshman Jared McKenzie used an RBI-ground out to put BU up 1-0 in the third inning.

Later on in the fifth, first baseman Chase Wehsener hit an RBI-double, to double the Baylor lead to 2-0.

Xavier responded with three runs in the top of the sixth to take the brief 3-2 lead, but Baylor tied things up in the home-half with an RBI-double courtesy of third baseman Esteban Cardoza-Oquendo.

In the eight, the Bears made a run with an RBI-single from Cardoza-Oquendo to give BU the 4-3 advantage. Baylor was not done, as a wild pitch allowed fifth-year senior Andy Thomas to score from third. Later in the frame, an RBI-single from in true freshman Cam Caley’s first collegiate at-bat and another RBI-single from Wehsener allowed Baylor to solidify their lead at 7-3, the eventual final.

In a relief effort, fifth-year senior Logan Freeman (1-1) earned his first win of the season after throwing two scoreless innings, while Xavier’s Dorsey Chatham (0-1) was tabbed with the loss. Baylor starter Tyler Thomas had a solid outing with six innings pitched, while allowing three runs, two earned and striking out nine batters. His nine strikeouts tied his career high that he set last Saturday against Memphis.

SATURDAY - Baylor 11, Xavier 4

With a seven-run explosion in the seventh inning, Baylor secured its seventh-consecutive win after defeating Xavier 11-4 on Saturday at Baylor Ballpark. The Bears (9-4) have secured the series win over the Musketeers (3-6) and will go for the series sweep tomorrow afternoon.

After a slow first inning, the Bears got on the board in the second inning after first-year sophomore Antonia Valdez’s base hit brought in two runs, putting Baylor up 2-0. Xavier came back in the third inning tying the game 2-2.  

In the bottom of the fourth inning, Baylor took the lead 3-2 after true freshman Alex Gonzales grounded out to bring first baseman Chase Wehsener home. 

Xavier takes a brief lead in the top of the sixth inning and led Baylor 4-3.  

The Bears responded with a big seventh inning as fifth-year senior Andy Thomas hit an RBI-single followed by second-year freshman Cade Currington smacking an RBI-double to put Baylor in the lead, 5-4. Later in the inning, second-year freshman Jared Mackenzie hit a triple down the left field line that brought home two. During the seventh inning, Baylor scored a total of seven runs, to blow the game open at 10-4.  

In the eighth inning, second-year freshman Nolan Rodriguez had his first-career pulling a triple down the left field line and was brought home by an sacrifice fly from Wehsener, putting Baylor up 11-4. 

Fifth-year senior Jimmy Winston (2-1) earned the victory after throwing 4.2 innings in relief, while only allowing one earned run and striking out five. Xavier’s Jonathan Kelly (0-1) picked up the loss. Baylor starter Blake Helton hurled 3.1 innings with allowing two runs on three hits and fanning three.

SUNDAY - Baylor 10, Xavier 0

The Baylor baseball team extended its win streak to eight games and completed the sweep after shutting out Xavier, 10-0, on Sunday at Baylor Ballpark. The Bears (10-4) swept their second-consecutive weekend series with today’s victory over the Musketeers (3-7).

The Bears started off strong, taking an early 2-0 lead in the first inning after second-year freshman Tre Richardson used an RBI-groundout to score one and newcomer Antonio Valdez slapped an RBI-single through the right side.

Later in the fourth, fourth-year junior Davion Downey crushed his first home run of the season to right field for a two-run shot which doubled the Baylor lead to 4-0. In the sixth, fifth-year senior Andy Thomas hit a solo homer to right, stretching the BU advantage to 5-0. Downey followed with a sacrifice fly to score Valdez who doubled earlier in the frame.

In the seventh, second baseman Jack Pineda had an RBI single to score second-year freshman Jared McKenzie to push the lead to 7-0. The Bears put the game away in the eighth after true freshman Cam Caley smashed his first-career home run, a three-run shot, to make it 10-0.

Fifth-year senior Hayden Kettler (1-0) was near-perfect on the mound after only allowing two hits, no walks, while striking out seven in a career-tying seven innings of scoreless baseball. Baylor relievers Logan Freeman and Jacob Askinos closed out the game to keep it a two-hit shutout. Xavier’s Ethan Bosacker (1-1) was tabbed with the loss.