WACO, Texas – Baylor baseball used a quality start from fifth-year senior Hayden Kettler and a six-spot in the seventh inning to defeat No. 10 Texas, 11-2, on Sunday at Baylor Ballpark. The Bears (13-6, 1-2 Big 12) picked up its first Big 12 win of 2021 with the victory over the Longhorns (14-6, 2-1 Big 12).
 
Baylor started the scoring in the first, following a walk, fifth-year senior Andy Thomas continued his hot-hitting with a single, while both runners advanced on a wild pitch. In the next at-bat, second-year freshman Cade Currington came through with a two-out two-RBI single to get the Bears on the board, 2-0.
 
BU scratched across a run in the third with a sacrifice fly from second-year freshman Kyle Nevin to score Thomas. The scoring continued in the fourth after two runs scored due an error on Texas' second baseman to make it 5-0 in favor of Baylor.
 
The Longhorns got back in the game by scoring one run in the fifth and in the sixth to trim their deficit to 5-2.
 
The Bears put it out of reach in the seventh with a six-spot. The first four batters of the inning reached with two walks and a single from Thomas and an RBI-single from second-year freshman Kyle Nevin. Fourth-year junior Davion Downey used a sac fly to make it 7-2. Junior Esteban Cardoza-Oquendo and third-year redshirt sophomore Chase Wehsener followed with back-to-back doubles to push the lead to 10-2. Second-year freshman Tre Richardson brought in the final run with a single to left center.
 
Kettler (2-0) was stellar on the mound after going seven innings, allowing one earned run on four hits and striking out six. Texas starter Kolby Kubichek (2-2) was tabbed with the loss.
 
NOTES
• The Bears picked up their first Big 12 win since 2019.
• Baylor closed its 13-game home stand with an 11-2 mark at Baylor Ballpark.
• BU has finished with double digit hits for the 15^th time this season.
• Thomas had another multi-hit game after going 3-for-4 with three runs scored.
• Cardoza-Oquendo finished 2-for-3 with two runs and an RBI, while Nevin went 2-for-4 with a run scored and two RBI.
• Kettler tied his career-long outing for the second-consecutive week after hurling seven innings.
• Kettler picked up his second-straight win.
• Thomas finished the series hitting 8-for-15 (.615).
 
QUOTE FROM COACH ROD
"Hayden (Kettler) did a great job mixing in a lot of different pitches, moving the ball in and out, up and down. You could tell that they were getting flustered with the inconsistency, there was really no pattern. Kettler and Coach Strauss did a great job. The biggest thing is that you can call a pitch, but you still have to throw it. That's the thing, it could be the right pitch and a guy doesn't throw it properly and it ends up being a wrong pitch. Every pitch that was called, I thought Hayden did a great job, made very few mistakes and got strike one a lot."
 
WHAT'S NEXT
Baylor will hit the road to play UT Arlington on Tuesday, March 23 at 6:30 p.m. CT.
 
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