March 12, 2002

Box Score

WACO, Texas - Ross Bennett knocked out four hits and Michael Griffin drove in four runs as the 10th-ranked Bears slugged their way past Southwest Texas Tuesday night at Baylor Ballpark, 9-6.

Baylor (13-6, 4-2 Big 12) trailed 5-4 through four-and-a-half innings before Bennett tied things up with a lead-off solo home run in the bottom of the fifth, his second bomb of the season. Four batters later, Griffin hit a three-run homer to left that put the Bears on top to stay.

Southwest Texas (13-7, 0-0 Southland) out-hit Baylor 12-9, but managed only six runs on the night. Five of those runs came against starter Justin Taylor (4-1), who gave up nine hits in his 5 1/3 innings but struck out six and walked none. Paul Thorp relieved Taylor in the sixth and closed out the game, hurling 3 2/3 innings for his first save of the year. Thorp allowed one unearned run on three hits and struck out a pair of Bobcats.

SWT starter Brook Parr (0-2) took the loss, allowing seven runs (all earned) in 4 1/3 innings. Parr struck out six but gave up seven hits and three walks.

Bennett's four hits marked the fifth time this season a Bear has hit safely at least four times in a game. The junior scored twice and is now hitting a robust .477 on the year.

Trey Webb saw his nine-game hitting streak snapped as he went 0-for-5. The streak is the longest on the club this season.

The Bears heads north to the Metroplex for a second mid-week game on Wednesday. Baylor plays at UT-Arlington Wednesday at 3 p.m. before returning home to host Kansas on the weekend. The Bears and Jayhawks square off Friday at 5:30 p.m., Saturday at 3 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m.