Bears Rally Past Kansas State 9-8

Friday, May 18

Waco, Texas

6:30 PM

Baylor

Kansas State

Bears Rally Past Kansas State 9-8

5/18/2007 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

May 18, 2007

Box Score | Quotes

WACO, Texas -- Beamer Weems' two-out RBI single up the middle in the bottom of the eighth broke an 8-8 tie and gave Baylor a 9-8 victory over Kansas State in Friday night's Big 12 Conference series opener at Baylor Ballpark. Baylor (29-25, 10-15) posted its 16^th consecutive victory at home against Kansas State (33-20, 10-14), which has not won a game in Waco since 1966.

Weems' game-winning single was just a part of a collective effort for the Bears, who trailed 6-0 with two runners on and one out in the top of the first. That was when starter Jeff Mandel exited in the shortest start of his career. Randall Linebaugh, who was moved out of the rotation this weekend, spelled Mandel; Linebaugh got out of the inning and held Kansas State to two runs on four hits and three walks with four strikeouts over 6.1 innings.

That allowed Baylor a chance to post its largest comeback of the season, and the rally started quickly as the Bears scored three runs in the bottom of the first inning. Baylor got a run in the second, but the Wildcats answered with a solo spot in the fourth. The Bears took the lead with a four-run sixth, but Byron Wiley led off the top of the seventh with a game-tying home run just to the right of the batter's eye in center.

After Wiley's home run, Linebaugh got two quick outs before allowing a walk and a single. Nick Cassavechia relieved Linebaugh and got Eddie Vasquez to fly out to end the inning. Cassavechia worked out of his own jam in the top of the eighth, loading the bases on two walks and a single to open the inning. After getting Wiley on a fly out to shallow center, Cassavechia recorded a strikeout and a groundout to escape the jam.

That set the stage for the Bears to score the game-winning run in the bottom of the inning. Ben Booker walked with one out and moved to second Raynor Campbell's single through the left side. One out and two batters later, Weems fought off several two-strike pitches before slapping Todd Vogel's full-count offering back up the middle. The hit snapped an 0-for-12 slump for Weems, who avoided going hitless in three consecutive games for the first time in his career.

Cassavechia (6-1) earned the victory, holding the Wildcats scoreless on one hit and two walks with three strikeouts over 2.1 innings.

Vogel (3-1) was saddled with the loss, allowing one run on two hits and two walks over 1.1 innings.

Kansas State scored six runs on six hits and a Baylor error in the first inning, sending 11 batters to the plate in the frame. Brett Scott's two-run double was the third of five consecutive hits for the Wildcats in the inning.

However, Booker got Baylor's rally started right away, slapping a single to left. After Campbell walked, Chase Gerdes delivered an RBI single through the left side. Dustin Dickerson capped the inning with a two-run single to center.

Baylor got an unearned run in the second, and Kansas State responded with a run on Vasquez's RBI triple in the third. The Bears scored four runs on four hits and a walk in the sixth. Tim Jackson and Shaver Hansen both had RBI singles before Booker's two-run single to left-center gave the Bears an 8-7 lead.

Eight of Baylor's starters recorded at least one hit. Booker, Matt Czimskey, Gerdes, Hansen and Jackson had two hits each, while Booker and Dickerson had two RBI each. Jackson and Booker both scored twice.

Baylor and Kansas State continue their three-game series Saturday at 6:30 p.m. CDT. The Bears send freshman right-hander Kendal Volz (5-2, 5.27 ERA) to the mound, opposite Wildcat sophomore right-hander Trevor Hurley (1-3, 3.65 ERA). Six Baylor seniors - Czimskey, Gerdes, Jackson, Mandel, Matt Sodolak and Weghorst - will be honored prior to Saturday's game.

NOTES: Baylor leads the all-time series 25-9, including a 17-1 advantage in games played in Waco. The Bears are 24-8 against the Wildcats since the inception of the Big 12 Conference. ... Czimskey (14 games) and Campbell (11 games) both extended hitting streaks; Czimskey's is the longest by a Baylor player this season. Dickerson has hit safely in five straight games. Booker (11 games), Czimskey (10 games), Campbell (seven games), Dickerson (six games) and Gerdes (five games) all extended hitting streaks in Big 12 play. ... Campbell has reached safely in 24 straight games and in 29 of his last 30. ... Cassavechia has recorded at least one strikeout in 17 consecutive appearances and in 22 of 24 outings this season. ... Czimskey and Dickerson have both reached safely in 19 consecutive games.