Baylor
Oklahoma State
Cowboys Avoid Baylor Sweep, Beat Bears 10-7
4/13/2003 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 13, 2003
STILLWATER, Okla. - Cowboy starter Joe Weaver struck out a career-high eight batters as No. 17 Oklahoma State avoided the weekend sweep with a 10-7 win over No. 16 Baylor Sunday afternoon.
After the Bears (25-14, 8-7 Big 12) had scored a total of 34 runs in the first two games, Weaver (3-2) limited Baylor to just two runs over the first eight innings before faltering in the ninth. Oklahoma State (23-11, 8-4 Big 12) jumped out to a 7-0 lead on the Bears through three innings and coasted to the win in the series finale, fending off a late Baylor rally in the ninth.
OSU started the bottom of the first with three straight singles off Baylor starter Mark McCormick (3-2), but the freshman held the Cowboys to just one run by inducing a double play and a groundout to escape the inning.
The Cowboys added three more runs in the second. After an infield hit by second baseman Kenny Hansley, eight-hole hitter Scott Kirby knocked out a 1-2 pitch for a two-run homer. Later in the inning, OSU took advantage of a two-out walk and a double by Jose Virgil to up the lead to 4-0.
When McCormick gave up a leadoff walk and then a single to start the third, head coach Steve Smith brought in sophomore Sean Walker from the pen. After recording one out, Walker gave up a three-run homer to Hansley as OSU climbed on top 7-0.
Baylor's first hit didn't come until the third, when David Murphy lined a single through the right side. The rightfielder took second on a groundout and moved to third on a balk, but was stranded at third when Ross Bennett was called out on strikes.
Mark Saccomanno put the Bears on the board with a two-run homer to dead center in the fifth, cutting the defecit to 7-2. Saccomanno's homer followed two misplays by OSU catcher Jason Jaramillo that let Michael Griffin reach base leading off the inning. First, Jaramillo dropped Griffin's popup behind the plate for an error; then when Griffin swung and missed on a third strike, the pitch got past Jaramillo as the Bears' third baseman reached on a wild pitch.
Oklahoma State took advantage of two walks, a hit batsman and two singles to answeer with three runs in the bottom of the fifth, all off Walker. A hit batsman with the bases loaded brought home the first run of the inning, and Virgil followed with a two-run single as the Cowboys extended their lead to 10-2.
Baylor rallied in the ninth off Weaver, as the OSU starter finally tired. After Bennett walked, leftfielder Scott Kirby pulled back a potential two-run home run by Griffin for the first out. Saccomanno then singled to left as Bennett took third. The senior DH scored on a wild pitch, and Kevin Sevigny drove in Saccomanno with a two-out single for the Bears' fourth run. Durbin sent Weaver to the showers with a three-run homer that brought the Bears within three at 10-7.
Reliever Aaron Whitehead gave up a single to the first batter he faced, Murphy, but got Josh Ford to ground out to shortstop to end the game.
In the Bears' last trip to Stillwater, back in 2001, Baylor also claimed the first two games before OSU run-ruled the Bears in the final game, 15-5. The Cowboys have not been swept at home since 1974.
Baylor wraps up a five-game road stretch Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. in San Marcos against Southwest Texas, then hosts Missouri over the weekend at Baylor Ballpark.
NOTES: Griffin saw his 12-game hitting streak, the Bears' best this season, come to an end with an 0-for-4 day... Saccomanno extended his career-best hitting streak to 10 games.
