Baylor baseball rallied for a 10-9 win over South Alabama on Saturday afternoon at Baylor Ballpark in a game that featured four lead changes. The Bears (7-0) overcame a four-run deficit in the seventh inning to take the series from the Jaguars (4-2) with a chance for a sweep Sunday.
Trailing 1-0 after a leadoff home run to start the game, Baylor knotted the score in the second inning on a Kameron Esthay double and Josh Bissonette RBI single.
In the fourth, the Bears opened up a 3-1 lead on a base-loaded hit-by-pitch by Tucker Cascadden and sacrifice fly by Steven McLean. However, the lead was short-lived as South Alabama scored two in the fifth to tie it and three in the sixth for a 6-3 edge.
BU chipped away at the lead in the bottom of the sixth on a McLean two-run double, but the Jaguars answered with three more runs in the seventh for a 9-5 lead.
The Bears kept fighting and rallied again in the bottom of the seventh, though. Matt Menard led off with a walk and scored on an Esthay double. Aaron Dodson followed with a walk and a Richard Cunningham two-run double put the tying run at second base. After an infield single by Cascadden, Cunningham scored the tying run on a wild pitch.
BU reliever Drew Robertson pitched a solid eighth to get the bats back up quickly, and it paid off. With two outs, Dodson roped a triple into the right-center gap and scored on a Bissonette infield single.
Bears closer Troy Montemayor allowed the tying run to reach second and go-ahead run to first with one out in the ninth, but held strong to get the final two outs.
Robertson (1-0) picked up the win, giving up a hit with one strikeout in one inning. Montemayor earned his third save, surrendering two hits with two strikeouts in the ninth. South Alabama reliever Matt Peacock (0-1) took the loss, allowing one run on four hits and two walks with two strikeouts in 1.2 innings.
NOTES
*Baylor is 7-0 to start a season for the first time since 2008 – last 8-0 start was in 1984 (13-0).
*Baylor has won seven straight games for the first time since winning 24 straight from March 16-April 22, 2012.
*Baylor overcame of four-run deficit (trailed 9-5, won 10-9) for the first time since Feb. 14, 2014 at Arizona State (trailed 7-2, won 9-7).
*Baylor is 3-1 all-time vs. South Alabama and 3-0 in Waco in the series.
*Baylor is 6-0 at home this season and 406-182 all-time at Baylor Ballpark.
*Junior closer Troy Montemayor garnered his third save of the season and 17th of his career. He converted his first eight career save attempts last season, and after blowing a save in his ninth attempt, has converted nine straight. He’s 17-for-18 in converting save attempts in his career. He now ranks seventh on BU’s career saves list (17).
*Montemayor has a career-high nine straight scoreless outings dating back to 2016 with 12 strikeouts in 8.0 innings during the run.
*Senior reliever Drew Robertson has a career-high four straight scoreless outings to begin 2017 with eight strikeouts in 5.1 innings. Robertson also earned his first career win.
*Junior JUCO transfer shortstop Tucker Cascadden has an RBI in all seven games as a Bear and had his first two-hit game.
*Junior third baseman Steven McLean has his first multi-RBI game (3).
*Junior right fielder Kameron Esthay tied a career-high with two doubles and set a career high with three runs scored for his team-high fourth multi-hit game (2).
*Sophomore second baseman Josh Bissonette notched his second two-hit game and first two-RBI game of the season.
*Senior designated hitter Matt Menard has reached base in all seven games this season and has a three-game hitting streak.
*Senior first baseman Aaron Dodson has a six-game on-base streak and three-game hitting streak as he posted his first triple of the season and fifth of his career.
*Sophomore centerfielder Richard Cunningham has a three-game hitting streak as he notched his second two-hit game and second two-RBI game with a career-high two doubles.
*Sophomore left fielder T.J. Raguse has a three-game on-base streak.
*Freshman first baseman Davis Wendzel has a four-game on-base streak and three-game hitting streak.
STAT OF THE GAME
8 – The amount of runs and RBI Baylor received from its No. 7-9 spots in the batting order – Josh Bissonette (2-for-4, two RBI), Richard Cunningham (2-for-3, two runs, two RBI) and Tucker Cascadden (2-for-3, one run, one RBI).
QUOTE OF THE GAME
“There’s something to be said about the kids that just find a way to help your team win. This group is talented in their own right, but also has a lot of qualities that help teams win. Right now both are showing and getting us off to this good start, but we still have a long season ahead.” – Head coach Steve Rodriguez
WHAT’S NEXT
Baylor finishes the series vs. South Alabama Sunday at 12:05 p.m. CT on FOX College Sports Central.
