BSB Stays Hot with 7-6 Comeback Win Over UT Arlington

Tuesday, April 6

Waco, Texas

6:30 p.m.

Baylor

19-10

UT Arlington

12-16

UT Arlington

Baylor

BSB Stays Hot with 7-6 Comeback Win Over UT Arlington

4/6/2021 11:13:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score Box Score

The Bears fell behind 6-1 early in the game before storming back

WACO, Texas – After falling behind 6-1 in the first two innings, Baylor baseball clawed its way back and completed the 7-6 come-from-behind victory, on Tuesday at Baylor Ballpark. The Bears (19-10) used a two-out RBI-double from second-year freshman Tre Richardson in the eighth to split the season series with the Mavericks (12-16).

The Mavericks struck first with an bases-loaded single to go up 1-0, however, in the home-half of the frame, newcomer Jack Pineda led things off with his first career home run to tie it up at 1-1.

In the second, UTA exploded for five runs and lead 6-1. In the fourth, second-year freshman Kyle Nevin saved two runs after leaping up at the left field wall and robbing a home run that would have made it 8-1 for the Mavericks.

The Bears began their comeback later in the fifth, when third-year sophomore Chase Wehsener crushed a solo home run and two batters later, second-year freshman Jared McKenzie followed up with a solo shot of his own to cut it to 6-3. BU was not done in the inning as second-year freshman Tre Richardson and fifth-year senior Andy Thomas used back-to-back doubles to trim the deficit to two runs after five innings of play.

In the sixth, Esteban Cardoza-Oquendo hit an RBI-base knock to bring in one. Later in the frame, McKenzie smacked an RBI-single to right field to score Nevin and tie it up at 6-6.

In the eighth, Wehsener hit a single and advanced to second on a throwing error by UT Arlington's shortstop. Later in the inning, Richardson pulled his second double of the day down the left field line to bring Wehsener home and put the Bears in the lead, 7-6.

The Bears brought in fifth-year senior Luke Boyd (5) to shut the door and secure their sixth-straight win. Fifth-year senior pitcher Ryan Leckich (1-0) earned the win after hurling 1.2 innings in relief, while UTA's Zach Norris (3-3) was handed the loss.

NOTES
• Baylor is now 17-2 at Baylor Ballpark.
• BU is 18-5 against non-conference opponents.
• Baylor extended its win streak to six-straight games.
• The Bears and Mavericks split the season series.
• Baylor overcame an early five-run deficit to win, it was the first time to come back and win with such a deficit since overcoming a nine-run deficit against Kansas State on May 19, 2017.
• BU hit two home runs in the same inning for the second time this season (Feb. 21 vs. UTRGV).
• Four players finished with two hits on the night: McKenzie, Richardson, Thomas and Wehsener.
• Pineda hit his first career home run in his first career start in the leadoff spot of the lineup.
• McKenzie hit his team-leading seventh home run of the season.
• Wehsener smacked his second home run of the year and fifth of his career.
• Leckich earned his first win of the season in his 13^th appearance.
• Freshman Zac Childers tied a career-high with two scoreless innings of work.
• Boyd earned his fifth save of the year.

QUOTE FROM COACH ROD
"I'll tell you what you have to give (Cade) Winquest a little credit here. I mean the guy was throwing 93-94 you know with probably five different pitches and kind of wild in the zone everywhere. He'll walk a guy on a guy on four and then throw over three really good pitches, so our guys were trying to figure out the best way to approach him and once he started having some trouble commanding his breaking ball and they just started on sitting on something firm. He has a cutter and a fastball and so they were just kind of sitting on that and they were able to get ahold of that a couple times during that inning. But once again they were able to make a good adjustment on a pitcher who is pretty good against us."

WHAT'S NEXT
The Bears will get back to conference play with a three-game home series against West Virginia beginning on Friday, April 9 at 7:30 p.m. CT at Baylor Ballpark. The game will be televised on ESPNU.

To stay up to date throughout the season on all things Baylor baseball, follow the team on Facebook (Baylor Baseball), Twitter (@BaylorBaseball) and Instagram (@BaylorBaseball).