Baylor
Oklahoma State
Baseball Beats OSU 7-4 for 9th Straight Win
3/30/2012 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
 4OKLAHOMA ST. (14-12, 1-3) Rank: NR |
Box Score |  7BAYLOR (20-7, 7-0) Rank: #21 |
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March 30, 2012
WACO, Texas - Lawton Langford's eighth-inning RBI single broke a 4-4 tie, and Brad Kuntz pitched 3.0 shutout innings of relief as No. 21 Baylor rallied from a 4-1 deficit to beat Oklahoma State 7-4 in the series opener Friday night at Baylor Ballpark.
The win gives Baylor (20-7, 7-0 Big 12) a nine-game winning streak, its longest since an 11-game streak in 2003. The Bears have won eight straight Big 12 games, tying the third-longest Big 12 streak in program history.
Kuntz (3-2) struck out the side in the ninth and recorded a career-high-tying six strikeouts in 3.0 shutout innings of relief. Josh Turley didn't factor in the decision after allowing three earned runs in 6.0 innings, but Baylor has won all seven of Turley's starts this season.
"(Kuntz) was big tonight, and that's why we put him out there because we know what he's capable of, and he's been pretty consistent," head coach Steve Smith said. "He's a tough guy and I know he likes to be in those situations."
Jake Miller recorded his second straight three-hit game, finished 3-for-3 with a stolen base and a sacrifice bunt, and he drove in the game-tying run with a RBI single in the sixth inning.
The Bears took an early lead against Oklahoma State (14-12, 1-3 Big 12) ace Andrew Heaney when Max Muncy and Josh Ludy had back-to-back RBI doubles in the first, but Heaney held the Bears scoreless over the next four innings.
Oklahoma State tied the game on a strange play in the fourth. With runners on first and second and one out, Wes Jones hit a potential double-play grounder to second, but after the out was made at second base, Miller's throw to third hit Gabe Weidenaar in the helmet and bounced away, allowing Mark Ginther to score the tying run. That proved costly, as the next two batters delivered RBI base knocks to give the Cowboys a 3-1 lead.
OSU extended its lead to 4-1 with back-to-back two-out RBI doubles in the fifth, but the Bears answered with a three-run inning to tie the game in the bottom of the sixth.
Ludy and Logan Vick led off with singles and Dan Evatt followed with a two-run double. Cal Towey's sacrifice bunt moved Evatt to third and ended Heaney's day. Miller delivered a RBI single to the opposite field off relievers Blake Barnes to tie the game at 4-4.
Heaney, who had allowed only six earned runs in 48.0 innings entering the game, surrendered four earned runs on eight hits in 5.1 innings, but he didn't factor in the decision. Chase Stevens (3-3) took the loss after allowing three runs in 1.1 innings.
"Our guys just kind of grinded it out with (Heaney), and got a couple pretty timely hits," Smith said. "He was as good as advertised. Dan (Evatt) and Jake (Miller) came up with some pretty big hits against him at big times."
Baylor took advantage of three walks, a hit batter and two hits to break the game open with three runs in the eighth. Towey led off with a single and moved to third on Miller's sacrifice bunt. Towey then stole third, pinch hitter Joey Hainsfurther drew a walk, and Nathan Orf was hit by a pitch to load the bases with one out.
Langford punched a RBI single just out of reach of a diving Weidenaar down the left-field line to put the Bears in front 5-4, and Muncy and Ludy drew bases-loaded walks to put the final runs on the board. OSU used four different pitchers in the eighth inning, two of which walked the only batter they faced on four pitches.
The three-run deficit was the largest overcome by the Bears this season. Baylor also recorded a season-high five stolen bases in the game, all by different players.
Baylor looks to tie the program record for consecutive Big 12 wins when the series resumes at 3:05 p.m. Saturday. The Bears are expected to send Trent Blank to the mound against Oklahoma State's Kyle Ottoson.
