Baylor
Oklahoma State
Baseball Explodes Out of Slump in 18-6 Win
4/11/2003 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 11, 2003
STILLWATER, Okla. - Baylor snapped a four-game losing streak in grand fashion Friday night, beating Big 12-leading Oklahoma State 18-6 in the first game of a three-game set at Allie P. Reynolds Stadium.
The Bears (24-13, 7-6 Big 12) pounded out 11 extra-base hits en route to their highest-scoring game since an 18-9 win at Southern California last season. The Cowboys (22-10, 7-3 Big 12) saw a five-game winning streak snapped with the loss.
Baylor started off the game with a pair of solo home runs in the first off OSU ace Scott Baker (7-4). Chris Durbin started the game with a shot to left, his second lead-off home run of the year, and two batters later Josh Ford powered a shot out to the opposite field for a 2-0 lead.
Baylor added a solo run in the third, as Durbin led off the inning with an infield single and David Murphy doubled him home for the Bears' third run.
Meanwhile, Baylor starter Steven White (4-2) danced in and out of trouble in the first three innings. The Cowboys caught up with him in the fourth, when a leadoff walk came around to score on a two-out groundout.
Oklahoma tied the game two innings later. After White got the first two outs of the fifth inning quickly and easily, he gave up a single to third baseman Josh Fields, then walked two straight hitters. Facing a 3-0 count on designated hitter Mario Matulich with the bases loaded, White worked the count full but then gave up a hard single to left that scored two runs and tied the game at 3-3.
Baylor responded with a five-spot in the top of the sixth, scoring four unearned runs after two outs. Ford got things started with a double to deep left-center, and after an out and a walk to Michael Griffin, scored on Mark Saccomanno's double to right. Seth Fortenberry struck out for the second out, and Trey Webb hit a grounder to shortstop that looked to be the third out of the inning.
Saccomanno, the runner at second, hesitated just long enough to affect shortstop Chris Gutierrez's view of the grounder. The shortstop fielded the ball awkwardly, then made a poor throw that pulled the first baseman off the bag, allowing Griffin to score from third and extending the inning. Kyle Reynolds followed with a two-RBI double, and Durbin hit the Bears' fourth double of the year to drive in the Bears' fifth run of the inning and up the lead to 8-3.
Trey Taylor took over for White to start the bottom of the sixth, after the senior righty had thrown 98 pitches in the first five innings. White allowed five hits and tied his season high with five walks. The five-inning stint was White's shortest since the season opener, when he went five innings against Southwest Texas.
Baylor scored three more runs in the seventh. A single and an error put runners on first and second for Griffin, who hit a ground-rule double that scored the Bears' ninth run. Saccomanno followed with a single that scored both runners, extending the Bears' lead to 11-3.
The Bears continued to build their lead late, scoring five runs in the eighth inning and two more in the ninth. Griffin's bases-loaded triple was the big hit in the eighth, and pinch-hitter Matt Forestiere singled in the Bears' final two runs.
Taylor pitched two shutout innings in relief, allowing two hits and striking out two. Tyler Bullock took over to start the eighth, but gave up three runs on a walk and two home runs. Andy Schnizer pitched the ninth and did not allow a run, extending his scoreless inning streak to 4 1/3 innings covering four outings.
Chris Durbin led the Bears with four hits on the night, including two doubles and his team-leading 10th home run of the season. Three other Bears had three hits apiece: Josh Ford, who had a double, a home run, and drove in four runs; Michael Griffin, with a double, a triple, four RBI and three runs scored; and Mark Saccomanno, who had a double and three RBI to go with two runs scored.
The two teams square off again Saturday at 2 p.m., then wrap up the series Sunday at 2 p.m. Redshirt freshman Abe Woody will start for Baylor against OSU lefty Spencer Grogan.
NOTES: Baylor's 18 runs were the team's most in a Big 12 game since an 18-1 win at Iowa State in 1999... Durbin missed hitting for the cycle by only a triple and was held at second on an eighth-inning double, his second of the game.
