April 2, 2002
Box Score
FORT WORTH, Texas -- Michael Griffin's grand slam, the Bears' first in over a year, fueled a 10-3 Baylor win at TCU on Tuesday afternoon.
Baylor (21-11) beat TCU (15-16) for the first time in three tries this season. The Horned Frogs beat the Bears earlier this year 5-4 at the Astros College Classic and 5-3 in Waco, but Baylor's offense took over the game Tuesday in Fort Worth.
The Bears put up two runs in the top of the first, jumping on TCU starter Ryan Grafe (1-3) early. Ross Bennett walked to lead off the game and moved to third on Trey Webb's double to straightaway center. After a strikeout of Paul Richmond, Chris Durbin reached on an infield single that scored Bennett. Mike Huggins followed with another single to drive in Webb and put the Bears up 2-0.
TCU got both runs back in the bottom of the first. After striking out the first batter, Trey Taylor gave up a one-out, solo home run by left fielder Chris Meeks over the center-field wall. The next four batters all reached base off Taylor. A double, hit batsman, and two singles pushed across one run and loaded the bases, but Taylor struck out catcher Kyle Dahlberg and second baseman Will Lewis swinging to escape further damage.
A double and two walks loaded the bases with nobody out in the fifth off Grafe, but the TCU starter looked like he would get out unscathed when Durbin popped out to shortstop and Huggins struck out swinging. Michael Griffin fell behind in the count 0-2 before knocking out his team-leading fifth home run of the season, a grand slam that put the Bears on top 6-2.
Back-to-back singles to start the seventh knocked out reliever Josh Gardner in favor of Tim Collinsworth. The new pitcher then walked the first two batters he faced to force home a run. David Murphy drove home the Bears' eighth run with a sacrifice fly to center that scored Durbin.
In the eighth, pinch-hitter Jared Clements got things started with a single to center. Tim Hartshorn walked, and he and pinch-runner Paul Witt executed a double steal to put two men in scoring position. Webb's sacrifice fly gave Baylor a 9-2 lead.
Josh Ford drove in the Bears' final run in the ninth inning with a groundout to third up the Baylor lead to 10-2.
Taylor pitched the first three innings, giving up only the two first-inning runs. The freshman lefty struck out five batters, tying his season and career high. Sean Walker (2-1) came in to start the fourth inning and picked up the win. Walker threw five shutout innings and allowed just four hits. Paul Thorp started the ninth on the mound and pitched the final frame, allowing a two-out solo home run to Jake Duncan before closing out the 10-3 win.
Durbin, Huggins and Griffin -- Baylor's 4-5-6 hitters -- each knocked out two hits. Griffin drove in five of Baylor's 10 runs with the grand slam and a bases-loaded walk in the seventh. His grand slam was the Bears' first since David Murphy hit one against Houston on March 6, 2001.
Baylor now returns home to start an eight-game homestand. The Bears host No. 19 Oklahoma State this weekend, beginning Friday at 7 p.m. Saturday's game starts at 2 p.m. in a Fox Sports Southwest telecast, and the series concludes Sunday at 2 p.m.
