May 24, 2007

Box Score | Quotes

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. -- Matt Czimskey led off the top of the seventh with a home run, and Shaver Hansen added a two-run shot later in the inning as sixth-seeded Baylor knocked off No. 21 and third-seeded Oklahoma State in first-day action Wednesday at the Big 12 Conference Championship. Baylor (32-24) has won four straight and eight of its last 11. Oklahoma State (38-17) has lost four straight.

Baylor managed just one hit through the first six innings; Hansen doubled with one out in the fifth but was stranded. However, Czimskey drilled Joe Kent's first pitch of the seventh off the second-tier billboards beyond the left-field bleachers. It was his sixth round-tripper of the season, all of which have come against Big 12 teams and two of which have come against Oklahoma State.

After a Dustin Dickerson walk and a fly out, Hansen lined a 2-1 offering into the left-field bleachers for his second homer of the season. It was his first against a Big 12 team.

Hansen's homer gave Baylor starter Jeff Mandel all the run support he needed. Mandel (7-7) held Oklahoma State to one run on seven hits and no walks with five strikeouts over 6.2 innings. He left the game after surrendering a two-out RBI single to Ryan Flavell.

Nick Cassavechia coaxed an inning-ending ground ball. He then retired the side in order in the eighth and sat down three straight after allowing a leadoff double in the ninth to notch his ninth save of the season. Cassavechia finished with two strikeouts, both of which came in the ninth.

Kent (4-2) took the loss, allowing three runs on three hits and a walk with eight strikeouts over 6.1 innings. Justin Friend held the Bears scoreless on four hits with four strikeouts over the game's final 2.2 innings.

Oklahoma State had chances to scratch the scoreboard in the early innings, but Mandel stranded a runner in scoring position in each of the first three innings and was helped by solid defense.

Hansen made a diving stop to end the first inning on a Matt Mangini ball that would have scored a run had it gotten through. After a Ty Wright leadoff single in the second, Mandel induced a double play; the twin-killing was crucial as Jordy Mercer followed with a triple but was stranded at third.

Keanon Simon doubled with one out in the third, but Mandel retired the next eight Cowboys before Simon broke the string with a sixth-inning leadoff single. Corey Brown then grounded into a double play, again key as Tyler Mach followed with a single but was left at first when Paul Miles ran down Mangini's Texas Leaguer down the line in right.

Mandel erased several bad memories with his performance against Oklahoma State. The senior right-hander suffered the worst outing of his career against the Cowboys in Stillwater during the regular season. He allowed 10 runs on 10 hits - three of which were home runs - and four walks over 3.2 innings.

Last Friday, Mandel lasted only one-third of an inning in the Bears' series opener against Kansas State. He also had surrendered five runs on eight hits and three walks over 4.0 innings in two previous Big 12 Championship appearances, both of which were in relief.

Czimskey and Hansen both finished with two-hit nights. Ben Booker had a double, while Tim Jackson and Miles both had singles.

Baylor continues action at the Big 12 Championship at 4:30 p.m. CDT Friday, facing No. 11 Missouri.

NOTES: Oklahoma State leads the all-time series 32-23, including a 20-17 edge since the inception of the Big 12 Conference and a 7-3 advantage at neutral sites. The teams have met four times in Big 12 Championship play with each team winning twice; Baylor has won each of the last two such meetings. ... Baylor improves to 30-30 all-time in conference tournament action, including an 18-17 mark at the Big 12 Championship. ... The Bears improve to 23-9 this season when scoring first. ... Baylor has won 28 of its last 31 games when hitting at least two home runs. ... Czimskey extended his career-long hitting streak to 17 games. That ties for the eighth-longest in Baylor history and is the longest by a Bear since Chris Durbin's 17-game run in 2001. Booker (four games), Miles (three games) and Jackson (three games) all extended hitting streaks. ... Raynor Campbell (13 games) and Dustin Dickerson (eight games) both snapped career-long streaks.