March 25, 2007
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WACO, Texas -- Baylor scored 12 runs in the fourth inning, and Beamer Weems went 5-for-5 with a home run and four RBI as the Bears defeated Texas Tech 14-4 in seven innings in Sunday afternoon's Big 12 Conference series finale at Baylor Ballpark. With the win, Baylor (15-11, 2-4) clinched the series two games to one.
Kyle Martin's three-run home run in the top of the seventh inning pulled Texas Tech (18-9, 3-3) to within nine runs as the Red Raiders looked to stave off the Big 12 Conference 10-run rule in effect for series finales. However, Raynor Campbell's two-out RBI single down the right-field line in the bottom of the seventh scored Chase Gerdes from second to end the game.
Baylor starter Kendal Volz (3-1) earned the victory, tossing 5.0 shutout innings on four hits and no walks with four strikeouts.
Texas Tech starter Aaron Odom (3-3) took the loss; he allowed eight runs, six earned, on nine hits and two walks with three strikeouts over 3.1 innings.
Baylor's 12-run fourth was the Bears' highest-scoring inning since a 12-run seventh inning at Texas Tech in 2004. Both 12-run innings are Baylor's highest-scoring frames in Big 12 play.
The scoring spree in the fourth started when Odom tried to get the lead runner at third base on Matt Czimskey's sacrifice bunt and the throw sailed down the left-field line. That allowed Matt Sodolak to score from second and Gerdes to score from first. After Paul Miles scored Czimskey with a sacrifice fly, Campbell singled to short and scored. Weems followed with a 415-foot home run to left field, pushing Baylor's lead to 6-0.
However, the inning was far from over. Tim Jackson beat out an infield single and then scored on Aaron Miller's triple off the wall in center. Miller scored on Matt Sodolak's double, and Gerdes followed with a walk. That set the stage for Czimskey's first career home run, a three-run shot to left. Miles and Campbell singled and walked, respectively, and Weems capped the scoring with a two-run double to right-center.
Weems' five-hit game was the 23rd in Baylor history and the second this week after Shaver Hansen's five-hit performance Tuesday against Texas Southern. Weems also tied his career high with four RBI and scored twice. Sodolak was 3-for-5 with two runs scored, while Campbell and Jackson both turned in two-hit days.
The Bears got a run in the first on Miller's RBI fielder's choice. Tech got on the board in the sixth on Roger Kieschnick's one-out solo homer to right.
Baylor returns to action Tuesday, traveling to Arlington, Texas, for a midweek game at Texas-Arlington. First pitch between the Bears and the Mavericks is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at Clay Gould Ballpark on the UTA campus. This is the second of three scheduled meetings between Baylor and UTA this season; the Bears defeated the Mavericks 9-7 in 10 innings at Baylor Ballpark earlier this season.
NOTES: Texas Tech leads the all-time series 68-65, including a 20-17 advantage since the inception of the Big 12 Conference. Baylor holds a 41-24 advantage in games played in Waco. The Bears are 18-27 against the Red Raiders during head coach Steve Smith's tenure. ... The home team has won each of the last six Baylor-Texas Tech series. ... Weems' second hit of the day was the 100th of his career. ... Weems extended his hitting streak to eight games, tying his career high established earlier this season. ... Sodolak (seven games) and Campbell (four games) also extended hitting streaks.
