WACO, Texas – Baylor baseball earned a 2-1 win over Kansas on Saturday afternoon at Baylor Ballpark to even the series. The Bears (12-14, 2-3) received a very nice start from Drew Tolson to top the Jayhawks (10-14, 1-3).
BU scratched the game’s first run across in the first inning. Steven McLean led off with a single, Richard Cunningham followed with a bunt single and Darryn Sheppard walked to load the bases. Aaron Dodson hit a sacrifice fly to plate McLean for a 1-0 lead.
KU tied it in the third on two hits and two errors, but it was the last run Baylor allowed.
In the seventh, McLean got things started again for the Bears, this time with a leadoff double. After two outs, McLean moving to third and a pitching change, Kameron Esthay walked before Dodson drove McLean home with a single through the right side for a 2-1 Baylor lead that stood.
Tolson (3-1) earned the win, allowing one run (unearned) on six hits and one walk with six strikeouts in 7.2 innings. Troy Montemayor picked up his fifth save with a scoreless ninth. KU starter Blake Weiman (1-2) took the loss, giving up two runs on eight hits and two walks with five strikeouts in 6.1 innings.
NOTES
*Baylor has won four of its last six games.
*Baylor is 394-176 all-time at Baylor Ballpark and 9-10 under Steve Rodriguez.
*Baylor leads the all-time series vs. Kansas 49-18 and 27-8 in Waco – BU is 1-1 in the series under Rodriguez.
*Steven McLean has a career-high 12-game on-base streak and career-high six-game hitting streak as he posted a career-high four hits for his sixth multi-hit game of the season.
*Josh Bissonette has a career-high 11-game on-base streak and career-high six-game hitting streak.
*Richard Cunningham has a 10-game on-base streak.
*Darryn Sheppard has a career-high-tying nine-game on-base streak.
*Matt Menard has a four-game on-base streak.
*Aaron Dodson notched his third multi-RBI game of the season.
*Kameron Esthay garnered his team-high-tying seventh multi-hit game of the season.
*Drew Tolson posted a season-high 7.2 innings pitched.
*Troy Montemayor has five saves this season and in his career in as many attempts.
STAT OF THE GAME
9 – The amount of clean base runners Baylor’s pitchers allowed in the game but yielded just one run.
QUOTE OF THE GAME
“Drew [Tolson] did a great job today. He commanded the zone really well and moved the ball in and out. To be honest, I expect that out of him. He’s a veteran guy for us and he’s a very mature pitcher, and what I mean by that is he has a lot of great feel about him. It was great to see that today, just being able to continue to go out there and keep his pitch count down. That was really nice to see.” – Baylor Head Coach Steve Rodriguez
WHAT’S NEXT
Baylor continues its series vs. Kansas and six-game home stand with a 1:05 p.m. CT rubber match Sunday on FOX Sports Plus. The pitching matchup features BU RHP Kyle Hill vs. KU RHP Jackson Goddard (2-1, 3.91 ERA).
