Baylor
Texas State
Ford Homers Bears Past Bobcats 7-5
3/16/2004 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 16, 2004
WACO, Texas - Josh Ford smashed two home runs and Jared Theodorakos allowed one unearned run in three innings as Baylor defeated Texas State 7-5 here Tuesday night. The Bears improve to 6-13 with the win. The Bobcats fall to 10-10 with the loss, the seventh in their last nine games.
After Baylor got an unearned run in the bottom of the first, Ford led off the second with his first home run of the season, a towering shot to left. Mike Pankratz followed with a triple off the centerfield wall and then scored on a Jared Clements single. Clements later came around to score on an errant pickoff attempt, giving the Bears a 3-0 lead.
The Bobcats scratched for an unearned run in the top of the third, but the Bears quickly stretched their lead. Tyler Bullock was hit by a pitch to lead off the bottom of the inning, and Ford followed with a line-drive home run to left.
Texas State did not bow quietly, though, touching Baylor reliever Cory VanAllen for four runs, three earned, on five hits over the next two frames and pulling to within one run at 6-5.
But that only set the stage for Ford to come through again. With runners at second and third and no outs in the fifth, Ford beat out an infield single deep to the hole at short that plated the runner from third.
From there, Ryan LaMotta cruised, tossing 5.0 innings of two-hit shutout ball with one walk and two strikeouts for his first save of the season. Theodorakos (1-0), who was on a predetermined pitch count in his first game back after season-ending shoulder surgery last spring, allowed one unearned run on five hits and a walk with two strikeouts in 3.0 innings of work.
Texas State starter Paul Schappert (1-4) took the loss, allowing four runs, three earned, on four hits and two walks with a strikeout in 1.1 innings.
Ford finished the night 3-for-4 with two runs and four RBI. It was the third time in his career that Ford has hit two home runs in a game. Drew Sutton went 2-for-4 and scored once.
Baylor begins Big 12 Conference play this weekend, facing Texas A&M in the annual Battle of the Brazos split series. The series opens Friday with a 7 p.m. contest at Olsen Field in College Station. The series then shifts to Baylor Ballpark for a 6 p.m. Saturday game and Sunday's series finale at 2 p.m.
NOTES: Baylor leads the Texas State series 33-12. The Bears are 27-10 against the Bobcats in Waco. ... Josh Ford's ended a 30-game, 120-at-bat stretch without a home run, dating back to May 16, 2003 at Nebraska. ... Ford is the first Bear to hit two home runs in a game since David Murphy had two May 13, 2003, also against Texas State. ... Ford and Pankratz both extended hitting streaks to four games, while Kyle Reynolds and Michael Griffin both saw five-game streaks end. ... Baylor was out-hit in Tuesday's game 12-9. This marks the first time this season the Bears have been out-hit and won, moving to 1-10 this season in such games.
