June 5, 2005
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WACO, Texas - Chase Gerdes tied a career high with four RBI and Abe Woody notched his team-leading ninth win of the season as No. 8 Baylor defeated No. 24 TCU 8-3 in Sunday's winners' bracket game at the 2005 NCAA Waco Regional at Baylor Ballpark. The Bears (41-21) advance to Monday's 2 p.m. CDT championship game. Baylor will face the winner of tonight's elimination game between TCU (41-19) and Stanford, which eliminated Texas-San Antonio 6-2 earlier Sunday.
For the second straight game, Baylor got its offense going early, scoring a run in the first, three in the second and three more in the third to build a commanding 7-0 lead. TCU scored two runs in the fifth, chasing Baylor starter Mark McCormick from the game. However, Woody (9-3) held the Horned Frogs to one run on five hits and no walks with three strikeouts over the final 4.1 innings to notch the victory for the Bears, who have now won nine of their last 12 and five of their last six.
Gerdes, who extended his career-long hitting streak to eight games, finished 3-for-4 with a run and a stolen base to go along with his four RBI. Michael Griffin, Josh Ford, Zach Dillon, Seth Fortenberry and Paul Witt all drove in one run each; Witt scored twice.
McCormick was nearly untouchable through the first four innings. However, he struggled with control in the fifth and exited with the bases loaded and two outs. McCormick allowed two runs on four hits and four walks with six strikeouts in 4.2 innings.
TCU starter Sam Demel (5-5) was touched for seven runs on five hits and three walks with three strikeouts in 2.2 innings. Omar Arif finished out the game for TCU, allowing one unearned run on two hits and a walk with three strikeouts over 5.1 innings.
With one out in the bottom of the first, Gerdes singled through the right side, stole second and scored on a Ford singe up the middle. After one-out walks by Fortenberry and Jeff Mandel in the second, Witt singled through the left side, scoring Fortenberry. Two batters later, Gerdes blooped a single into left-center, plating Mandel and Witt.
Reid Brees led off the third with a walk and then scored on a Fortenberry triple to left-center. Later in the inning, Gerdes chopped a bases-loaded, two-run single up the middle, pushing Baylor's lead to 7-0. After TCU scored a pair of runs in the top of the fifth, Baylor answered with a bases-loaded Brees sacrifice fly in the sixth. Keith Conlon capped the scoring with an infield RBI single in the seventh.
Baylor will send southpaw Cory VanAllen (7-4) to the mound in Monday's championship game. Should the Bears lose that game, the teams would play again 45 minutes after the completion of the first game.
NOTES: Baylor leads the all-time series 131-99, including a 67-39 advantage in games played in Waco. The Bears are 12-11 against the Horned Frogs under the direction of head coach Steve Smith. ... Baylor is 25-23 all-time in NCAA postseason play, 6-4 at Baylor Ballpark. The Bears are 23-15 all-time in regional play, 5-2 at Baylor Ballpark. ... Sunday was McCormick's 42nd career start, moving into sole possession of sixth place all-time at Baylor. The Bears are 28-14 in his 42 career starts, 13-4 in his 17 starts this season. ... The Bears are 31-4 when scoring first, 14-2 when scoring in the first inning. ... Baylor is 34-6 when scoring at least four runs, 27-2 when scoring at least five runs and 21-0 when scoring at least seven runs. ... Baylor is 13-1 when leading after one inning, 17-4 after two, 21-4 after three, 23-4 after four, 25-2 after five, 32-2 after six, 33-2 after seven and 33-1 after eight innings or later. ... Ford has reached safely in 19 consecutive games and in 56 of his last 57 games. He has reached in all but two of Baylor's 62 games this season. ... Griffin extended his hitting streak to five games. Ford extended his streak to three games.
