Final Stats

By Jerry Hill
Baylor Bear Foundation

Through the first two games of a weekend series against No. 8 Texas Tech, Baylor (10-6. 2-0) has actually looked like the top-10 team coming off back-to-back conference championships.

Getting another stellar start from sophomore Hayden Kettler on Saturday, the Bears scored four runs in the sixth and then exploded for seven more in a seventh inning that included a nearly two-hour rain and lightning delay as they clinched a series win over a top-10 for the first time in two years.

"Texas Tech, by far, is one of the best teams we'll play this year," Baylor coach Steve Rodriguez said of the Red Raiders, who fell to 16-5 overall, 0-2 in league play and 2-5 on an eight-game, 10-day road trip. "Very talented group offensively and on the mound. The arms they're running out there are pretty impressive.

"So, (I'm) very happy with the 2-0 start. Like I told them, `We just need to make sure we worry about ourselves, make sure we play good baseball, execute the way we have offensively and continue to pitch like that, and I like our chances against anybody."

Tech held the upper hand through the first four innings, taking a 1-0 lead in the top of the third. The Red Raiders loaded the bases with nobody out with a pair of walks and a single by Braxton Fulford, but Kettler minimized the damage by getting Michael Davis to hit into a 4-6-3 double play and striking out 3-hole hitter Josh Jung with a runner at third base.

"I had stepped off the rubber and looked at that situation and saw that we had bases loaded with the heart of their lineup coming up," said Kettler, who allowed one run on three hits and four walks with three strikeouts in 5.2 innings. "I just took a deep breath and told myself, `Look, I'm a ground ball guy . . . so, I'm one pitch away from 4-6-3, and then I'm just one out from getting out of this thing.' Once we get that second out, I was like, `This is my time to lock-in and do my job.' I did the hard part. Getting that third out was really big."

The Bears tied the game in the fifth when Davion Downey singled through the right side, moved up to second on a wild pitch and scored on a Davis Wendzel RBI double that sailed over the left fielder's head.

Reliever Kyle Hill worked out of another bases-loaded jam in the sixth, getting Cameron Warren on a foul pop-up to first base.

Baylor got some help in scoring four runs in the bottom half of the sixth with a walk, a hit batter, a balk and two errors.

After Josh Bissonette reached on a one-out single to right, Tucker Cascadden had a bad-hop shot that the shortstop booted for the first error. Then, after a balk, third baseman Jung's throw home got by catcher Fulford to score Bissonette with the go-ahead run.

Wendzel was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, then Andy Thomas delivered a single to right that plated two more runs and staked Hill (2-0) to a 5-1 lead.

"Contagious hitting just builds off each other, so I think that's what we got today," said Thomas, who was 3-for-4 with three RBI.

Even with that lengthy rain delay, the Bears were able to break it open in the seventh. The first run came before the delay, when Downey was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.

The hit parade came after the break, with Shea Langeliers, Thomas, Richard Cunningham and Bissonette coming through with run-scoring hits that blew it open.

"We got in the locker room, we relaxed a little bit," Thomas said of the delay. "As a team, we kind of meshed in there and said, `You know what, let's pour some more on here.' I think we were leading 6-1 at the time, and we just decided, `Hey, we've got more in the tank.'''

Tech struck for a run in the eighth off reliever Drew Robertson, but senior pitcher Alex Phillips made his season debut and closed it out in the ninth when he got Davis to hit into another double play after a one-out double by pinch-hitter Clay Koelzer.

The Bears go for the series sweep with Sunday's 1:05 p.m. game, with freshman left-hander Tyler Thomas (0-0, 0.68 ERA) slated to start.

"I think it shows what we're capable of," Kettler said of the series win. "These are the kinds of series you need to win to make a regional. I think our team is well aware of that, and we came out ready to go."

Trailing 1-0 after the third inning, Baylor tied the game in the fifth. Davion Downey singled with one out, and after a wild pitch, scored on a two-out double by Davis Wendzel.

The game changed in the sixth as TTU had the bases loaded with two outs but reliever Kyle Hill induced a foul out to end the threat. BU then scored four runs in the sixth and seven in the seventh to take a commanding lead.

In the sixth, Josh Bissonette singled with one out, Tucker Cascadden reached on an error and a balk moved both runners into scoring position for Cole Haring, who hit into a fielder's choice but the throw home was off line. With two outs, Shea Langeliers walked to load the bases, and the Bears followed with an RBI HBP by Wendzel and two-run single by Andy Thomas.

Baylor started the seventh with a Richard Cunningham HBP and Bissonette single. Then a fielder's choice throw to third was late on Cascadden's sacrifice bunt to load the bases. With one out, Downey was hit by a pitch to force in a run. After a 1:57 lightning/rain delay, Langeliers opened the flood gates with a two-run single. Wendzel walked to re-load the bases for Thomas, who singled in a run. Nick Loftin drove in a run on a grounder to third. Cunningham and Bissonette followed with RBI singles to push the Bears lead to 12-1.

Texas Tech rallied for a run in the eighth but was unable to do more damage.

Hill (2-0) earned the win in relief, allowing two walks in 1.1 hitless, scoreless innings. TTU reliever Caleb Kilian (1-1) took the loss, giving up four unearned runs on two hits and a walk with one strikeout in 0.2 innings.

NOTES
*Baylor is 7-8 under third-year head coach Steve Rodriguez and 95-155 all-time against Baseball America top 10 opponents. Prior to this series, BU's last win against a top 10 team was April 22, 2017 at No. 7 TCU (16-5) and last series win was vs. No. 10 TCU (May 13-15, 2016).

*Baylor is 5-1 on its current seven-game home stand.

*Baylor has won seven of its last eight games.

*Baylor has reached 10 wins in at least its first 16 games for the second season in a row. The last time Baylor did so in consecutive years was a run from 2006-2012.

*Baylor is 2-0 in Big 12 play for the first time since 2014.

*Baylor has finished its home schedule with a .500 record or better (7-2 in 2018) in all 19 seasons at Baylor Ballpark (since 1999) and is 423-195 all-time at the park.

*Baylor is 15-22 against ranked opponents under Rodriguez (3-4, in 2018, 7-10 in 2017, 5-8 in 2016) and is 4-6 in three-game series against ranked foes. Prior to this series, BU's last win over a ranked opponent was Feb. 24 at No. 11 UCLA (8-6) and last series win over a ranked opponent was vs. No. 23 Houston on March 10-12, 2017.

*Baylor is 13-17 under Rodriguez against Baseball America ranked opponents (3-4 in 2018, 7-9 in 2017, 3-4 in 2016) and is 3-5 in three-game series against ranked foes. Prior to this series, BU's last win over a Baseball America ranked opponent was Feb. 24 at No. 11 UCLA (8-6) and last series win over a Baseball America ranked opponent was vs. No. 23 Houston on March 10-12, 2017.

*Baylor is 207-305-1 all-time against Baseball America ranked opponents and 175-258-1 in regular season play.

*The game had a 1:57 rain/lightning delay in the bottom of the seventh inning with one out.

*Hayden Kettler has thrown at least five innings with three runs or less and three strikeouts in four of five starts this season. He posted 5.2 one-run innings with three hits, four walks and three strikeouts vs. TTU.

*Davis Wendzel has reached base in five straight games and posted his second multi-RBI game of the season (2). He has a three-game hitting streak.

*Shea Langeliers has reached base in three straight games as he registered his team-high fifth multi-RBI game of the season (2).

*Andy Thomas tied career highs with three hits and three RBI for his team-high-tying fifth multi-hit game of the season, while posting his third multi-RBI game.

*Josh Bissonette had his fourth multi-hit game of the season (3).

*Davion Downey had his third multi-hit game of the season (2).

STAT OF THE GAME
2:26 -- The amount of time it took for Baylor to score seven runs in the bottom of the seventh with the lightning/rain delay.

QUOTE OF THE GAME
"I think everyone knows it starts with pitching. Just being able to minimize that third inning to one run was a really big deal [for Hayden Kettler]. He did a phenomenal job there for us. I'm really happy for his competitive nature and what he brought to our team today. We were able to get some runs for him and then be able to bring in the bullpen and let them do their job. I'm very happy with the 2-0 start, so we just need to make sure we worry about ourselves. We make sure we play good baseball and execute the way we have been offensively and continue to pitch like that. I like our chances against anybody." -- Baylor Head Coach Steve Rodriguez

WHAT'S NEXT
The Bears finish their series against No. 8 Texas Tech at 1:05 p.m. CT Sunday at Baylor Ballpark. For tickets to home games, visit: http://www.baylorbears.com/tickets/. For updates on the program follow @baylorbaseball on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat.