SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. – The Bears took game two of the series at Cal Poly in comeback fashion, 8-6 on Saturday evening at Baggett Stadium, setting up a rubber match on Sunday. 

The Baylor (9-5) offense exploded for eight runs on a season-high 18 hits and a four-run sixth inning helped the Bears overcome a 4-1 deficit and they never looked back, putting up a run apiece in the seventh through ninth inning to defeat the Mustangs (5-10), 8-6. 

Six different Bears finished with multiple hits on the day, led by freshman centerfielder Jared McKenzie with four. Esteban Cardoza-Oquendo was next with a personal-best three hits. Nick Loftin led the Bears with two RBI on the day. 

The Mustangs jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning, but BU starter Evan Godwin was able to minimize damage, stranding two Mustangs. 

The Bears answered right back, as Davion Downey drew a one-out walk and Kyle Nevin tripled him home on his second-career three bagger, tying the game back up at 1-1. 

In the bottom of the fourth, Godwin was touched up for three runs on three hits including a bases-clearing double from Bradlee Beesley that ended his day. Senior reliever Jimmy Winston entered and shored things up on the mound for the Bears. 

The Bears had an opportunity in the top of the fifth inning to cut into the Mustangs' lead, as the Bears loaded the bases with two outs, but Andy Thomas was struck out looking to end the inning. 

The Bears were able to break things open in the sixth inning, however, collecting four runs with two outs to erase the deficit and take their first lead of the day. The scoring started with Mackenzie Mueller on third with two outs. A balk brought him home to make it a 4-2 ballgame. Freshman Cade Currington came through with his first collegiate hit in his first collegiate at bat to extend the inning. A Cardoza-Oquendo double plated Currington from first and a McKenzie single scored Cardoza-Oquendo from second to tie the game up, 4-4. Loftin then singled after a Chase Wehsener walk to give the Bears a 5-4 lead. 

The Mustangs were not going to go down easily, however, as they tied things back up after a one-out single and a bases-clearing triple from Blake Wagenseller. With the go-ahead run at third with just one out, Winston bared down and got a strikeout and a ground out to end the threat. 

The Bears took the lead for good in the seventh, as Cardoza-Oquendo drove in his second run in as many innings after an eight-pitch at bat to make it  6-5, Bears. 

Then in the eighth, the Bears added another run as Wehsener led off the inning with a single and Loftin connected on his second triple of the year to make it 7-5, Bears. 

That insurance run proved to be important as a sac fly by Cal Poly in the bottom of the eighth pulled them within one, 7-6. Reliever Hambleton Oliver entered in relief of Daniel Caruso with two in scoring position and just one out and exchanged an out for the run on the sac fly and then got a big fly out to center field to end the threat. 

Downey added another insurance run in the ninth for the Bears as he connected on his second home run of the game to right field, the solo shot making it 8-6, Bears.

In the bottom of the ninth, Logan Freeman entered and shut down the Mustangs in order to preserve his first career save. 

BU reliever Jimmy Winston earned the win, while Mustang reliever Ryan Jameson took the loss.  

NOTES

• The Bears are now 8-2 all-time vs. Cal Poly 
• The Bears are 3-2 vs. Cal Poly under fifth-year head coach Steve Rodriguez. 
• The Bears tallied a season-high 18 hits on the day, the most since tallying 23 in a 24-6 victory over Omaha in the 2019 NCAA Los Angeles Regional. 
• Eight of the Bears' starting nine had at least one hit on the day. 
• A season-high six Bears had multi-hit games. 
• Five of the Bears' eight runs came with two outs. 
• FR INF Kyle Nevin connected on his second triple of the year. 
• FR INF Kyle Nevin tallied his second career RBI with his game-tying triple in the second inning. 
• FR INF Kyle Nevin finished 2-for-5 with 1 RBI. 
• FR OF Jared McKenzie was 4-for-6 on the day, tying his career high mark of 4 hits.
• FR OF Jared McKenzie He has hit safely in 12 of 14 games on the year. 
• FR OF Jared McKenzie has had multi-hit days in 8-of-14 games on the year.
• RS SO INF Chase Wehsener was 2-for-5 with 1 walk. 
• JR OF Davion Downey was 2-for-4 with 1 RBI and a solo home run, his second of the year.
• JR INF Esteban Cardoza-Oquendo had a season-high 3 hits on the day. He finished 3-for-5 with a season-high 2 RBI. 
• FR C Cade Currington made his collegiate debut as a pinch hitter in the sixth inning and tallied his first collegiate hit. 
• SR RHP Logan Freeman collected his first career save. 
• SR RHP Jimmy Winston tossed 2.1 innings in relief, allowing 1 run on 2 hits with 1 walk and 2 Ks. He earned the win to improve to 1-1 on the year. 
• LHP Evan Godwin made his fourth appearance of the year, third start and tossed 3.2 innings, allowing 4 runs on seven hits with three walks and three Ks. 
• JR RHP Daniel Caruso made his sixth appearance out of the bullpen, allowing one run one one hit with one walk in 1.1 innings of work. 
• FR RHP Hambleton Oliver made his fifth appearance of the year, entering in the eighth inning to toss 0.2 innings. 

 
STAT OF THE DAY 
18 – The Bears mashed a season-high 18 hits, the most since tallying 23 in the 24-6 victory over Omaha in the 2019 Los Angeles Regional. The 18 are also the most in a regular season game since the Bears had 19 at TCU on April 27, 2019. 
 

QUOTES OF THE DAY FROM HEAD COACH STEVE RODRIGUEZ 
On the team's performance…
"The big thing was they kept taking really good at-bats. Our guys continued to hit the ball hard and I was really happy. We just weren't getting that two-out hit. Guys were taking good swings, having good at bats and I told them it would start to fall and it did. I was really happy with the performance today."


WHAT'S NEXT
The rubber match of the series at Cal Poly is set for 3 p.m. CT at Baggett Stadium in San Luis Obispo, Calif.   
-baylorbears.com-