Baylor
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Kansas
Baylor Claims Series from Kansas with 11-5 Win
4/27/2003 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 27, 2003
LAWRENCE, Kan. - No. 21 Baylor batted around in the sixth and eighth innings, scoring four runs in each frame and coasting to an 11-5 victory Sunday afternoon over Kansas.
After suffering a tough loss Friday night, Baylor (30-17, 11-10 Big 12) claimed the series with back-to-back wins Saturday and Sunday over Kansas (32-18, 7-11).
The game got off to an auspicious start for the Bears. Each of the first three batters reached in the top of the first, but Kansas starter Kevin Wheeler (5-3) struck out Michael Griffin and got Mark Saccomanno to ground into an inning-ending double play as the Bears failed to score.
Baylor put together back-to-back singles in the second after one out, but did not advance the runners. Wheeler then settled in, retiring eight of the next nine batters he faced.
Kansas got on the board with a single run in the fourth. Baylor starter Mark McCormick walked the first two batters in the inning, then was replaced on the mound by Abe Woody. The Jayhawks sacrificed the two runners over, and Casey Spanish's groundout to shortstop drove home Ryan Baty from third for a 1-0 Kansas lead.
Baylor tied up the game in the next half inning. Paul Witt led off the fifth with a double to left, took third on a flyout to the warning track in dead center by Chris Durbin, and scored on a groundout by David Murphy.
The Bears took the lead one inning later, batting around and scoring four runs in the sixth. After one out, Saccomanno doubled to left and scored on Reid Brees' single to center. Witt drove in two runs with a single later in the frame, and Durbin drove in Witt with a double as Baylor took a 5-1 lead. An infield single and a hit batsman loaded the bases, but Griffin flew out to the warning track in right, leaving the bases loaded.
Pinch-hitter Zach Dillon singled and scored on Trey Webb's double in the seventh, upping the Baylor lead to 6-1, but Kansas scored two unearned runs in the seventh to cut that lead to 6-3.
The Bears batted around again in the eighth, scoring four runs on just two hits. Five walks contributed to the rally, including a bases-loaded walk to Witt. Griffin and Dillon each singled in the inning; Dillon drove in two with his hit, and Griffin brought home one more as Baylor moved up 10-3.
Travis Metcalf's two-run homer in the bottom of the eighth brought the Jayhawks within five, but Matt Forestiere drove in a run with a pinch-hit groundout in the ninth to make the final score 11-5, Baylor.
Woody (5-0) picked up the win, hurling 3 2/3 innings of relief. The redshirt freshman allowed two unearned runs on two hits, walking two without a strikeout.
Zane Carlson pitched the final 2 1/3 innings for his sixth save of the year and the 29th of his career, breaking a tie with Oklahoma's Jeff Bajenaru to set a new Big 12 Conference record.
Witt finished the day 2-for-3 with two runs scored, three RBI, a double and two walks to pace the Bears from the No. 9 spot in the lineup; the sophomore was one of five Bears to record two or more hits on the day.
The Bears return home for a Wednesday showdown with Houston. Game time is set for 6 p.m. at Baylor Ballpark.
NOTES: Murphy extended his career-best hitting streak to 15 games, tops on the club this season and ninth-best in recent club history.
