No. 14/22 Baylor baseball posted an 8-6 win over Dallas Baptist on Tuesday evening at Baylor Ballpark. The Bears (17-4) used great defense and good hitting to take down the Patriots (13-7) on a second straight Tuesday.
BU jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first on an RBI triple by Shea Langeliers and RBI ground out by Kameron Esthay. Then in the second, the Bears added three more runs on a Josh Bissonette RBI walk, Langeliers sacrifice fly and Matt Menard RBI single for a 5-0 lead.
However, DBU hit a two-run home run and solo shot in the fourth, and a two-run blast in the fifth to tie the game.
The Bears grabbed the lead again in the fifth on a Tucker Cascadden sac fly, but the Patriots answered in the seventh with another tying run.
In the bottom of the seventh, though, Baylor took the lead for good. Esthay started the rally with a two-out single and scored on an Aaron Dodson triple. Davis Wendzel followed with a single to bring in Dodson, and gave BU an 8-6 edge that relievers Kyle Ott and Troy Montemayor protected in the eighth and ninth innings, respectively.
BU reliever Kyle Hill (3-1) earned the win in relief, giving up an unearned run on one hit and three walks with two strikeouts in 2.1 innings. Montemayor worked over an error in the ninth but gave up nothing else for his sixth save. DBU reliever Travis Stone (2-2) took the loss, allowing two runs on four hits with one strikeout in 2.2 innings.
NOTES
*Baylor’s 17-4 record through 21 games is its best since a 17-4 start in 2000.
*Baylor is 6-3 as a ranked team this season and 4-2 against ranked teams.
*Baylor is 6-0 in midweek games this season.
*Baylor has finished its home schedule with a .500 record or better (12-3 in 2017) in all 18 seasons at Baylor Ballpark (since 1999) and is 409-185 all-time at the park.
*Baylor is 2-2 on its current and season-long eight-game home stand.
*Baylor leads the all-time series vs. Dallas Baptist 50-26, 36-17 in Waco and has won three straight.
*Junior preseason All-American and NCBWA Stopper of the Year Watch List member RHP Troy Montemayor picked up his sixth save this season and 20th of his career. He now ranks fourth on Baylor’s all-time career saves list. He is 20-for-21 in career save chances as he converted his first eight, blew his ninth, and has converted 12 straight since.
*Junior JUCO starter Alex Phillips tossed a career-high 4.2 innings.
*Senior designated hitter Matt Menard has a 10-game on-base streak and five-game hitting streak.
*Junior outfielder Levi Gilcrease has a career-high seven-game on-base streak.
*Junior third baseman Steven McLean has a five-game on-base streak.
*Junior JUCO shortstop Tucker Cascadden has a five-game on-base streak.
*Freshman catcher Shea Langeliers notched his third multi-RBI game.
*Senior first baseman Aaron Dodson posted his second multi-hit game.
*Junior right fielder Kameron Esthay has a three-game hitting streak.
*Sophomore RHP Kyle Hill has a career-high three wins.
*Junior RHP Kyle Ott has a career-high seven-appearance scoreless streak. Over 8.1 innings during the stretch he’s allowed six hits and three walks with seven strikeouts.
STAT OF THE GAME
2-5-3-4-2-6 – The scoring assists on Baylor’s crazy inning-ending double play in the sixth that started with a runner on second on a sacrifice bunt attempt.
QUOTE OF THE GAME
“The way we work on defense, it doesn’t surprise me seeing the results we’re getting because we stress defense so much. I’m just happy to see our guys continue to show the effort that they’re giving right now.” – Head Coach Steve Rodriguez
WHAT’S NEXT
Baylor hosts Oklahoma this weekend for three-game Big 12 Conference series with games at 6:35 p.m. CT on Friday, 3:05 p.m. on Saturday and 12:05 p.m. on Sunday.
