Baylor
Texas State
Baseball Stumbles in Loss to Texas State
3/1/2011 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 1, 2011
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WACO, TEXAS - Texas State scored seven runs in the first three innings and rolled to a 13-2 victory over the No. 16 Baylor baseball team on Tuesday afternoon at Baylor Ballpark.
Baylor (4-4) took an early lead when Brooks Pinckard led off the bottom of the first with a bunt single, stole second and third bases and scored on a wild pitch, but Texas State (6-2) responded with three runs in the second and four more in the third to take a 7-1 lead.
The Bobcats kept adding on, scoring two runs in each of the fifth, sixth and seventh innings while the Bears missed numerous opportunities to cut into the lead.
"We just didn't pitch well all the way around," head coach Steve Smith said. "To give up 16 hits with these bats this year, you had to have pitched badly. Having said that, they have a very good club, they have a veteran offensive team, they are very physical and they swung the bat well tonight."
Baylor stranded eight runners between the second and sixth innings and couldn't capitalize on eight walks issued by Texas State pitching. TSU starter Travis Ballew walked three in 3.0 innings, but he picked up the win by surrendering just one run on two hits in a predetermined short start.
BU starting pitcher Tyler Bremer retired the side in order in an 11-pitch first inning, but he ran into trouble in the second after allowing hits to three of the first four batters in the frame. Cody Gambill's sacrifice fly gave the Bobcats a 3-1 lead, but Josh Ludy picked off Tyler Sibley at first base to get the Bears out of the inning.
Kyle Kubitza doubled with one out in the third, and after back-to-back walks, Josh Turley came on in relief for the Bears. He struck out Isaac Nuti for the second out in the inning, and he jammed Cory Halvey on a 2-2 pitch, but Halvey's bloop landed just in front of a diving Pinckard and ended up as a three-run double to extend the Bobcats' lead to 6-1.
Nate Goodwin knocked a RBI single in the eighth, giving Baylor its only run after the first inning. Ludy and Pinckard both went 2-for-3 at the plate, and Pinckard stole two bases and walked twice.
Bremer took the loss after giving up six runs on five hits in 2.1 innings. Baylor used seven pitchers in the game, including freshman Doug Ashby, who made his debut in a Bears uniform.
Jeff McVaney, Casey Kalenkosky and Gambill had three hits apiece for the Bobcats and Halvey added four RBI and scored twice.
The Bears return to action this weekend in the Houston College Classic at Minute Maid Park. Baylor opens against Houston at noon Friday, takes on Utah at noon Saturday and wraps up the tournament at 2:30 p.m. Sunday against Rice.
