Baylor
Houston (Astros College Classic)
Bears Pound Cougars in College Classic Opener
2/14/2003 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Feb. 14, 2003
HOUSTON, Texas - With the help of two big innings, 10th-ranked Baylor pounded 13th-ranked Houston 14-4 Friday at Minute Maid Park in Houston in the team's first game at the Minute Maid Park College Classic.
The Bears (3-2) jumped on Houston (1-3) starter Brad Sullivan (0-1), a 2003 preseason all-American, early. After playing a ball hit off the left-field wall and throwing out a runner at second base in the first, left fielder Michael Griffin lead off the Bears' half of the second inning with a solo homer to left-center field.
After a walk to Zach Dillon and a double by Trey Webb, Sullivan uncorked a wild pitch, scoring Dillon. Second baseman Kyle Reynolds then hit a sacrifice fly to center field, scoring Webb and making the score 3-0. The inning continued with back-to-back doubles by Chris Durbin and David Murphy and an RBI single by Ross Bennett. that upped the lead to 5-0.
Baylor went back to work in the third, sending 10 more batters to the plate and adding six more runs. Paul Witt's single to left field scored Webb, and after a walk to Durbin, Murphy roped a double to left that scored Durbin and Witt. Josh Ford followed with an RBI single and Bennett concluded the scoring with a sacrifice fly as Baylor jumped on top 11-0.
That was more than enough for Baylor starter Jared Theodorakos (1-0) who threw five strong innings. The only blemish on Theodorakos' day was a two-run homer he surrendered to Cougars' catcher Brett Logan in the fifth. On the day, Theodorakos gave up six hits and struck out four while walking just one.
Ford capped the Baylor scoring in the seventh with a three-run bomb that hit off the railroad tracks above the left field seats. Ford was 4-for-5 on the day with with 4 RBI; the four hits and four runs driven in were both career highs for the sophomore catcher.
Not to be outdone was fellow sophomore Michael Griffin, who continued his hot start at the plate by also going 4-for-5 and driving in two.
Sophomore Sean Walker pitched the final four innings to pick up his first save of the season and second of his career. Walker allowed two runs on two hits with no walks and tied his career high with five strikeouts.
Baylor continues action at the 2003 Minute Maid Park Classic Saturday when they play Rice at 7 p.m..
NOTES: Baylor snapped a three-game skid against the Cougars, and also won their first game at Minute Maid Park after dropping all three games at the College Classic in 2002... Theodorakos improved his career record against Houston to 3-0; no other pitcher on the Baylor staff has earned a win over the Cougars... Griffin now has 10 hits in his last 11 at-bats, after a school-record six hits Sunday against Arizona.
