Baylor
Texas Tech
Four-Run Fourth Pushes Bears Past Raiders 5-1
3/23/2007 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 23, 2007
Baylor has won 14 consecutive Friday night games at Baylor Ballpark. The last time Baylor lost a Friday night game at home was March 4, 2005, a 2-4 loss to
Texas Tech (17-9, 2-2) took the game's first lead when Kyle Martin homered to left-center on the first pitch of the top of the fourth. That proved to be the Red Raiders' only run of the night.
Baylor quickly answered in the bottom of the inning. After Seth Hammock doubled to leadoff the frame and Dustin Dickerson singled, Matt Sodolak tied the score with a hit-and-run RBI single through the left side. Chase Gerdes then produced what turned out to be the game-winning run, scoring Dickerson on a groundout to second. Raynor Campbell's RBI double scored Gerdes, and Beamer Weems plated
That was all the support Mandel (3-4) needed as he scattered four hits and three walks over 6.2 innings. Mandel left the game following Taylor Ashbury's two-out double in the seventh. After walking the first batter he faced, Tim Matthews got the Bears out of the jam with an inning-ending groundout. Nick Cassavechia tallied three strikeouts in 1.2 innings for his fourth save of the season.
Seth Hammock gave the Bears an added run of insurance in the bottom of the eighth, blasting a two-out solo home run to left. It was his second round-tripper of the season.
Tech starter Colt Hynes (2-2) took the loss; he was touched for four runs on five hits and two walks with two strikeouts over 3.1 innings.
Hammock finished 2-for-4 with two runs; Dickerson also had two hits.
Baylor and Texas Tech continue their three-game series Saturday at 6:30 p.m. CDT. The Bears send junior right-hander Randall Linebaugh (2-2, 3.12 ERA) to the mound, opposite Red Raider sophomore right-hander A.J. Ramos (5-1, 2.90 ERA).
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