Baylor
Kansas St
Bears Blast K-State, 16-3
7/31/2000 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
May 12, 2000
MANHATTAN, Kan. - Pinch-hitter Ron Zboril blasted his second grand slam of the season as the Baylor baseball team cruised to a 16-3, eight-inning win over Kansas State Friday afternoon.
With the win, the Bears (40-14, 21-7) clinch a share of the Big 12 title and notch their 40th win for the third straight year, a feat never before accomplished by a Baylor baseball team.
After a scoreless first inning, Baylor jumped on the board in the second when Kelly Shoppach walked and came in on a sacrifice fly by Tim Hartshorn. In the third, the Bears scored five runs, including a three-run homer to right field by Chris Durbin. The Wildcats (19-30, 5-22) countered with a pair of runs in the bottom of the inning.
Baylor scored five more runs in the fourth inning, sparked by Shoppach's two-run homer to centerfield.
With two outs in the eighth, Matt Williams and Preston Underdown each singled to put runners at first and second. Pinch-hitter Steve Dorneman walked to load the bases for Zboril, who blasted a four-run shot over the right field wall and put the game away for Baylor.
Baylor starter Chad Hawkins (10-4) earned the win, scattering three runs on eight hits over eight innings of work. K-State starter Scott Tallman took the loss, giving up nine rund on six hits in three and two-thirds.
The Bears need just one more win to clinch their first outright conference title in 77 years. Baylor and Kansas State will play game two of the three-game series Saturday at 2 p.m.
