Baseball Notches 5-4 Win vs. Texas Southern

Tuesday, April 17

Waco, Texas

6:35 PM

Baylor

18-17

Texas Southern

16-21

Texas Southern

Baylor

Baseball Notches 5-4 Win vs. Texas Southern

4/17/2018 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

April 17, 2018

Final Stats

By Jerry Hill
Baylor Bear Foundation

Nothing came easy, not even with nine free bases on seven walks and two hit batters.

But, Baylor baseball (18-17) used a three-run homer by Richard Cunningham in the seventh and added a critical run in the eighth on a Cole Haring RBI double, holding on to beat the Texas Southern Tigers, 5-4, Tuesday night at Baylor Ballpark.

"We didn't practice (Monday), and that's always frustrating for me, just you're traveling as much as we have and you have a day off and you just don't have a chance to work with them," Baylor coach Steve Rodriguez said. "We have another game tomorrow, so hopefully we can play a little bit better."

After ending a seven-game road swing with a 3-4 record and a series win at Memphis, the Bears started a five-game home stand with the win over Texas Southern (16-21). They host Arkansas-Pine Bluff (13-16) at 6:35 p.m. Wednesday before a conference series this weekend against TCU (18-14, 6-5).

The Tigers got a run on three hits in the first inning off freshman starter Jimmy Winston, then tacked on another run in the fourth on Keanu Van Kuren's two-out RBI single to right-center field.

Baylor got a run back in the bottom half of the fourth, when Davis Wendzel had a one-out single up the middle and scored on Andy Thomas' double to right-center field. But, Christian Sanchez gave the Tigers a two-run lead with a solo homer off reliever Alex Philips (3-1) in the sixth.

"They're a really good team," Rodriguez said. They played some really good defense, their pitchers came in and did a really good job, especially their starter. They've got some guys in their lineup with some power, obviously evident by (Sanchez), who hit it probably off the scoreboard."

Peyton Schneider (0-6) kept the Bears off-balance most of the game, but his control issues (four walks, two hit batters) came back to haunt him in the seventh. After T.J. Raguse drew a one-out walk and Nick Loftin was hit by a pitch, Cunningham followed with a three-run blast, his fourth homer of the season and 14th of his career.

"I told myself after my third at-bat, `You're not going to have one of those days,''' Cunningham said. "You've got another at-bat, you're going to commit to this at-bat and you're going to find a way to beat him and find a way to help your team. . . . I sat off-speed, and I got one just high enough to where it was in the sweet spot, still low and in, and I was able to get on it."

That goes down as the game-winning hit, but the Bears' run in the eighth proved to be the difference.

Freshman Davion Downey had a one-out single to right-center field and then scored on a Haring double in the left-center gap that made it 5-3.

Senior closer Troy Montemayor's eighth save of the season and 34th of his career didn't come easy. He gave up back-to-back singles by Gaudencio Lucca and Sanchez leading off the ninth, then Jose Camacho delivered a single through the right side to plate Lucca and make it a one-run game.

After striking out Van Kuren with the tying run on third base, The Mayor walked Horace LeBlanc to load the bases and then took just three pitches to strike out Ricky Urbano looking for the final out.

Even with Montemayor giving up a run on three hits and a walk, "he's our guy," Rodriguez said.

"That's the thing, he's going to go out there and he's going to close games for us," Rodriguez said. "I have no problem when he gives up hits or whatever it is. But, he's that guy. I have no problem putting him out there in those situations, because he's earned it and he's earned my respect and everybody out here as well."

Alex Phillips (3-1) got the win in relief, the only hit off him being Sanchez' homer in the sixth. Schneider was touched up for four runs on five hits, six walks and two hit batters with four strikeouts in 6.1 innings.

Thomas and Downey had two hits apiece to lead Baylor's seven-hit attack, while Lucca and Sanchez each had two of the Tigers' eight hits.

Arkansas-Pine Bluff had two homers and 14 hits in an 11-6 road win at Stephen F. Austin on Tuesday after losing three of its previous four games. The Golden Lions also lost at TCU, 7-1, and had a two-game series at Kansas canceled.

THE RUNDOWN
WACO, Texas -- Baylor baseball battled for a 5-4 win vs. Texas Southern on Tuesday evening at Baylor Ballpark. The Bears (18-17) scored four runs in the last two innings to top the Tigers (16-21).

Trailing 2-0 after TSU runs in the first and fourth innings, Andy Thomas cut the deficit in half with an RBI double in the fourth. However, the Tigers answered with a solo home run in the sixth for a 3-1 lead.

Then came a big seventh for Baylor. T.J. Raguse walked with one out and Nick Loftin was hit by a pitch to set up a three-run homer by Richard Cunningham. The Bears added an important run in the eighth on a double by Cole Haring.

BU needed the run as TSU scored once on three singles in the ninth, and had the bases loaded with two outs, but Troy Montemayor was able to get the last out with a looking strikeout.

BU reliever Alex Phillips (3-1) earned the win, giving up a run on one hit with two strikeouts in three innings. Montemayor picked up his eighth save, allowing a run on three hits and a walk with two strikeouts in the ninth. TSU starter Peyton Schneider (0-6) took the loss, surrendering four runs on five hits and six walks with four strikeouts in 6.1 innings.

NOTES
*Baylor is 23-10 in midweek games under third-year head coach Steve Rodriguez with a 15-9 home mark and 8-1 road record. BU is 6-2 in 2018 (3-2 at home, 3-0 on road).

*Baylor is 15-8 in non-conference play this season.

*Baylor has finished its home schedule with a .500 record or better (12-5 in 2018) in all 19 seasons at Baylor Ballpark (since 1999) and is 428-198 all-time at the park.

*Baylor is 1-0 on its current five-game home stand.

*Baylor has won four of its last five games.

*Baylor has hit 112 home runs in 145 games under Rodriguez. BU hit 51 in 2017 for its most homers since 2010 (57). BU has 27 in 2018.

*Troy Montemayor has 34 career saves (eight this season). He is within four of topping Baylor's all-time career saves leader Zane Carlson (37, 2000-04). He converted his first eight career save attempts in 2016, and after blowing his ninth try, converted 12 straight before blowing his 22nd attempt. He has converted 25 of his last 26 save tries and 14 straight. He is 34-for-36 in career save chances. He tied a career high with three strikeouts.

*Redshirt freshman Jimmy Winston made his first start and tossed a career-high four innings. He tied a career high with two strikeouts.

*Alex Phillips threw a season-high three innings in relief.

*Drew Robertson posted his eighth straight scoreless outing.

*Davis Wendzel has reached base in a career-high 24 straight games, marking Baylor's longest since a 24-game streak in 2016 by Steven McLean. He also has a four-game hitting streak.

*T.J. Raguse has a seven-game on-base streak.

*Andy Thomas has a six-game hitting streak as he totaled his team-high-tying 10th multi-hit game (2).

*Nick Loftin has reached base in five straight games.

*Cole Haring has a four-game hitting streak.

*Richard Cunningham has a four-game hitting streak as he hit his fourth home run of the season and 14th of his career. He had his fourth multi-RBI game (3).

*Davion Downey tallied his seventh multi-hit game (2).

STAT OF THE GAME
3 -- The amount of runs scored by Baylor's No. 1-3 hitters: Nick Loftin (1), Richard Cunningham (1) and Davis Wendzel (1).

QUOTE OF THE GAME
"I saw a lot of things tonight. The biggest thing is their pitcher did a great job. A sinker-slider guy, doing a great job of sinking the ball in on our guys. We were able to get a mistake with [Richard Cunningham]. Days like today, when you walk in and there are gale force winds going out, you're just thinking, `oh gosh, this is going to be a long day.' I was just happy with how our pitchers came in and did a good job, especially [Alex] Phillips. The hitters, we didn't practice yesterday and that is always a frustrating thing for me, because you're traveling as much as we have and you have a day off and you just don't have a day to work with them. Then you come back and you hope they're going to come out and do something. We have another game tomorrow and hopefully we play a little bit better." -- Baylor Head Coach Steve Rodriguez

WHAT'S NEXT
The Bears continue their five-game home stand with a 6:35 p.m. CT game Wednesday vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff 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.

-BU-