Baylor
Northwestern State
Switcheroo: Sutton Homers Baseball Past Demons 8-5
3/23/2004 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 23, 2004
WACO, Texas - Drew Sutton homered from both sides of the plate and later had a key two-run double as Baylor defeated Northwestern State 8-5 Tuesday night at Baylor Ballpark. It was Baylor's 11th consecutive victory in midweek home games.
Sutton finished the game 3-for-5 with a career-best five RBI and 10 total bases, raising his average to .356 in the process. Michael Griffin, Mike Pankratz and Kevin Sevigny also had two-hit outings for the Bears, who reached the 10-hit plateau for the fifth time in their last eight games.
The game started, ironically, with a Sutton fielding error at second base. The batter, Tigger Lyles, later scored on a wild pitch. That was the only run allowed by Baylor starter Jared Theodorakos (2-0), who yielded one hit and three walks with three strikeouts in 5.0 innings of work.
Baylor answered in the bottom of the first on a Reid Brees two-run double. With two outs in the second, Sutton blasted his first home run of the night to left from the right-hand side of the plate. Two innings later, Sutton came to the plated as a left-handed hitter and smashed a two-run shot to right.
After the teams traded runs in the seventh, Northwestern State made things interesting with a three-spot in the top of the eighth. However, Sutton again came up with a clutch hit in the bottom of the inning, this time a two-run double down the line in right.
Baylor scored at least two runs off each of three Northwestern State pitchers. Starter Dwayne Hall (2-1) was touched for three runs, one earned, on four hits and a walk.
The Bears return to action this weekend, traveling to Norman, Okla., for a three-game set against Oklahoma at L. Dale Mitchell Park. Baylor and the Sooners meet Friday at 6:30 p.m. CST, Saturday at 2 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m.
Notes: Baylor now leads the all-time series 9-6, including a 6-3 advantage in Waco. ... Sutton becomes the first Bear to homer from both sides of the plate in a game since Eric Nelson did so during the 1999 season. ... Sutton's five RBI are the most in a game by a Baylor batter this season. ... Pankratz extended his career-long hitting streak to eight games with a 2-for-5 night. ... Sutton also extended his career-long hitting streak to six games. ... Griffin has now reached safely in 14 consecutive games. ... Opposing batters are now 4-for-37 (.108) in first at bats against Baylor relievers, who have stranded 32 of 43 inherited runners (74.4 percent) this season.
