WACO, Texas – Baylor baseball lost a 6-5 decision to Sam Houston State on Tuesday evening at Baylor Ballpark. The Bears (17-19) took a 5-4 lead into the ninth but the Bearkats (22-16) got some help and pushed two runs across for the win.
A back and forth game all the way, Baylor bounced back from a 1-0 first-inning deficit with an RBI triple from Aaron Dodson in the bottom of the first that scored Kameron Esthay after a double.
BU took its first lead in the second thanks to a two-out error that put Justin Arrington on base. Richard Cunningham made it hurt with an RBI triple.
The 2-1 lead did not stand long as SHSU countered with three runs in the third on three hits, an error and HBP. However, the Bears responded in the fourth inning with two runs to tie the game, 4-4. Matt Menard led off with a walk and T.J. Raguse followed with an RBI double. After an errant pickoff throw put Raguse at third, Josh Bissonette hit an RBI single to knot the game.
In the seventh, Cunningham led off with a no-doubter home run to right field to put the Bears ahead, 5-4.
Then after a leadoff single, one-out single and strikeout in the ninth with Troy Montemayor on the mound, the Bearkats took advantage of an unfortunate mishap by the Bears. Zach Smith hit a sharp grounder up the middle that was fielded cleanly by second baseman Arrington while sliding on his knees but his throw to first for the game-winning out was wide and forced Dodson off the bag at first to load the bases. Clayton Harp followed with a two-run single through the left side to put SHSU up 6-5, and Baylor had no answer in the bottom half for a heartbreaking loss.
Bearkats reliever Greg Belton (2-1) earned the win, giving up just a walk with three strikeouts in 1.1 innings. Montemayor (1-1) took the loss, allowing two runs (both unearned) on three hits with one strikeout in one inning.
NOTES
*Baylor is 398-180 all-time at Baylor Ballpark and 13-14 under Steve Rodriguez.
*Baylor is 5-4 in midweek games in 2016.
*Baylor went 1-4 on its five-game home stand.
*Baylor leads the all-time series vs. Sam Houston State 62-44 and 34-18 in Waco as the Bears claimed a 5-1 win in Huntsville, Texas, earlier this season on March 1 – the Bears are 1-1 in the series under Steve Rodriguez.
*Baylor has scored at least one run in the first inning 13 times in 37 games and has scored 27 first-inning runs in 2016.
*Baylor already has 20 home runs in 37 games in 2016, which are three more than the team had in 55 games in 2015 – BU has hit 20 or more homers now for the first time since blasting 46 in 2012.
*Steven McLean has a career-high 23-game on-base streak (longest of any Baylor player this year).
*Darryn Sheppard has a seven-game on-base streak.
*Josh Bissonette has a six-game on-base streak.
*T.J. Raguse has a five-game hitting streak as he posted his fifth multi-hit game of the season.
*Richard Cunningham has a three-game on-base streak as he notched his eighth multi-hit and fifth multi-RBI game of the season while blasting his third home run of the season and of his career.
*Troy Montemayor’s career-high streak of seven straight scoreless relief appearances ended as he blew his first career save in his ninth chance of the season and career.
*Kody Hessemer set a season high with 2.2 innings of relief and tied a season high with three strikeouts.
STAT OF THE GAME
5.1 – The amount of scoreless innings of relief Baylor received from Kody Hessemer (2.2 IP) and Joe Heineman (2.2 IP).
QUOTE OF THE GAME
“Offensively, we actually did a pretty decent job. We got the hits at the end when we needed it and Richard [Cunningham] came up with a huge home run to put us on top. At that point, it was about the pitching at the end and the defense.” – Baylor head coach Steve Rodriguez
WHAT’S NEXT
Baylor begins a stretch where six of its next seven games are on the road, starting with a weekend series at Kansas State on Friday at 6:30 p.m. CT on FOX College Sports Pacific.
