WACO, Texas – Baylor baseball lost 6-5 to Texas Tech in the rubber match of both teams’ Big 12 opening series on Sunday afternoon at Baylor Ballpark. The Bears (8-11, 1-2) fought back from an early 4-0 deficit but it wasn’t enough to top the Red Raiders (12-7, 2-1).
TTU grabbed a quick four-run lead in the second inning as a bases-loaded, two-out screaming line drive by Tyler Floyd snuck just by Josh Bissonette’s glove at short for a three-run triple. Then a single by Stephen Smith made it a 4-0 lead.
Baylor scratched back in the third, starting with a Richard Cunningham leadoff double and Steven McLean HBP. Kameron Esthay then singled in a run and Darryn Sheppard hit a sacrifice fly. Following a single by Aaron Dodson and pitching change, T.J. Raguse had a fielder’s choice RBI to cut the deficit to 4-3.
The Red Raiders countered to create all the separation they needed in the fifth. Smith led off with a solo homer and TTU cashed in a two-out triple from Tanner Gardner with a single by Eric Gutierrez.
The Bears rallied in the eighth but came up one run short, unfortunately. Joe Sabatini began the rally with a pinch-hit, one-out double. After a Levi Gilcrease sharp single and shallow fly out, Matt Menard delivered a pinch-hit, RBI single and Cunningham reached on an error by the pitcher that let another run score. With BU down just 6-5 and two runners on, TTU went to the bullpen and induced a pop out by McLean to end the Bears’ last good scoring chance.
TTU reliever Hayden Howard (4-1) earned the win, allowing two runs (one earned) on six hits with three strikeouts in 5.1 innings. Robert Dugger picked up his third save with a perfect 1.1 innings of relief. BU starter Nick Lewis (0-3) was handed the loss, giving up six runs on 10 hits and one walk with three strikeouts in five innings.
NOTES
*Baylor is 391-175 all-time at Baylor Ballpark and 6-9 under Steve Rodriguez.
*Baylor went 2-6 on its season-long eight-game home stand.
*In Big 12 opening series, Baylor is 13-7 and had won three of its last four.
*In Big 12 home opening series, the Bears are 15-4 and had won three straight.
*Baylor trails the all-time series against Texas Tech 83-79 but leads 50-30 in Waco.
*Kameron Esthay has a career-high eight-game hitting streak.
*Aaron Dodson has a career-high-tying five-game on-base streak.
*Steven McLean has a five-game on-base streak and career-high-tying four-game hitting streak.
*Josh Bissonette has four-game on-base streak.
*Justin Arrington has a career-high seven-game hitting streak.
*Matt Menard has a career-high-tying four-game hitting streak.
*Richard Cunningham has a three-game on-base streak.
*Levi Gilcrease had his team-high-tying fifth multi-hit game this season.
STAT OF THE GAME
4 – The amount of innings of scoreless relief provided by Kyle Hill (1), Kody Hessemer (2) and Troy Montemayor (1) to let Baylor rally back within a run.
QUOTE OF THE GAME
“I thought we did a good job this weekend. The problem was that we just keep digging these four-run holes or three-run holes, and then we’re forced to kind of keep coming back. But I have to tip it to our offense, they did a great job competing, getting guys on base, scratching out hits, and finding a way to be one swing away from tying it up there at the end, and then possibly even taking the lead. So I was very proud of how our guys handled it, but we just have to eliminate those holes from now on.” – Baylor Head Coach Steve Rodriguez
WHAT’S NEXT
Baylor heads to Arlington, Texas, for a Tuesday midweek game against UT Arlington at 6:30 p.m. CT
