March 23, 2007
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WACO, Texas -- Baylor scored four runs in the fourth inning, and Jeff Mandel notched eight strikeouts as the Bears defeated Texas Tech 5-1 in Friday night's Big 12 Conference series opener at Baylor Ballpark. The win snapped a six-game Big 12 losing streak for Baylor (14-10, 1-3), dating back to last season.
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 Long Beach State. The Bears have won 10 of their last 11 Big 12 series openers at home.
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 Campbell with a single to left-center.
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).
NOTES: Texas Tech leads the all-time series 67-64, including a 19-16 advantage since the inception of the Big 12 Conference. Baylor holds a 40-23 advantage in games played in Waco. The Bears are 17-26 against the Red Raiders during head coach Steve Smith's tenure. ... Baylor has won the Texas Tech series opener three straight seasons. ... Gerdes' run scored in the fourth inning was the 100th of his career. ... The Bears have won 27 consecutive games when leading after eight innings. ... Baylor pitchers combined for 11 strikeouts on the night. The Bears are 32-7 since the beginning of the 2003 season when reaching double-digit strikeouts. ... Weems (six games), Sodolak (five games), Dickerson (three games) and Hammock (three games) all extended hitting streaks. Ben Booker saw his career-long eight-game streak end. ... Cassavechia's save was the sixth of his career in Big 12 play, tying Ryan LaMotta for fourth all-time at Baylor. ... Mandel has allowed just four earned runs in 22.0 innings (1.64 ERA) since moving into the Friday starter's role.
