Sunday, March 13
Waco, Texas
3 PM
Baylor
4
vs
3
Columbia
BSB Walks Off Columbia, 4-3
3/13/2022 7:48:00 PM | Baseball
McKenzie’s game-winning single clinches series over the Lions
By Jerry Hill
Baylor Bear Insider
After struggling through the first four weeks of the season, trying to find his groove at the plate, Baylor sophomore Jared McKenzie finally got the hit that could "burst open the floodgates."
Batting just .185 when he came to the plate with the bases loaded in the bottom of the 10th inning of Sunday's series finale against Columbia, McKenzie drilled a 1-0 pitch to right-center field to score Tre Richardson for a walk-off 4-3 victory in Sunday's rubber match in the three-game series at Baylor Ballpark.
"Thank the good Lord that I got a hit," said McKenzie, a preseason All-American, "because man, it's been a tough fight through these first 50 at-bats. But, I think we're trying to figure out the groove, and I think we are. We're going to be all right."
Baylor coach Steve Rodriguez was reminded of the 2018 season, when the eventual Big 12 Tournament champions had just got swept by Texas to fall to 14-16. After Davion Downey delivered a game-winning hit in the 12th to beat Sam Houston, 4-2, the Bears won 21 of their next 24 games.
"I told our guys, sometimes you need to pray for fleas," Rodriguez said. "You need to pray for things that are uncomfortable and are going to be hard. Because once you get through that, what comes out on the other side is really impressive. . . . (McKenzie's) hit could be the hit. All it takes is one hit to burst open the floodgates, and hopefully that is the one."
After freshman closer Mason Marriott (1-0) left a runner in scoring position stranded for the third-straight inning, this time with runners on the corners, Tre Richardson led off the 10th with a four-pitch walk.
"Understanding who the hitters are behind me, just having the mentality to pass the bat, that was the thing I was thinking of," Richardson said. "Leading off in the 10th inning, obviously the priority is just getting on base any way you can."
After fouling off two bunt attempts trying to move the runner up, Kyle Nevin hit a double off the right-field wall, moving Richardson to third with nobody out.
Sophomore reliever JD Ogden, who had worked three no-hit innings, intentionally walked cleanup hitter Chase Wehsener to load the bases and create a force at any base. Bad decision.
McKenzie, who hit a no-doubter on a 1-0 pitch, said he was "feeling like his old self" when he went 2-for-3 in the second game of Saturday's doubleheader, including an inside-the-park home run.
"I remember last year, I had a couple of opportunities in the same position and didn't deliver," McKenzie said. "That was my first walk-off ever, so it was a good feeling to just say, 'Hey, I can do it.'''
Richardson, who belted a two-run homer in the third inning to give the Bears the early 2-1 lead, said "any win is exciting."
"But, anytime you can walk it off against a team, especially in the last game of the series – the rubber match – walk-offs are the most fun thing in baseball," he said.
Columbia (4-6) took a 1-0 lead off Baylor starter Will Rigney in the top of the first, when Seth Darder led off with a single through the right side. With runners on the corners and two out, Cole Hage stole second, with Darder scoring an unearned run on catcher Harrison Caley's throwing error.
In the third, Caley had a one-out single and scored on Richardson's second homer of the season, a blast to center field.
"I was just trying to put a good swing on the ball," Richardson said, "and I happened to get it up. And with the wind today, it took off."
Rigney worked into the sixth, giving up no earned runs on three hits and one walk with three strikeouts. But, the Lions tied it at 2-2 on Hage's run-scoring double off reliever Matt Voelker.
The Bears answered in the bottom of the sixth, when Wehsener had a leadoff walk, went to second on a sac bunt by Nevin and moved up when Antonio Valdez beat out an infield single to short. With runners on the corners and one out, Wehsener came home on Alex Gonzales's fielder's choice grounder to short.
Columbia battled back again, tying it up in the eighth. Jeremy Solomon greeted Marriott with an RBI single to left that scored Hage after a leadoff walk and wild pitch.
"They're taking advantage of every opportunity," Rodriguez said. "If you throw them a fastball in the middle of the plate, they're going to swing and swing hard. Their intent is to do some damage. I'm just really happy how we played against a team that is obviously not going to stop and roll over."
Baylor, which has won nine of its last 12, will face Sam Houston State (10-5) at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday in Huntsville before opening league play with a three-game series against No. 21 TCU (11-4) on Friday through Sunday at Baylor Ballpark.
THE RUNDOWN
WACO, Texas – Baylor baseball (9-6) walked off Columbia (4-6), 4-3, in 10 innings on Sunday afternoon at Baylor Ballpark to clinch the series over the Lions.
Jared McKenzie delivered the game-winning RBI with a single that scored Tre Richardson.
Richardson's two-run home run opened the scoring for the Bears in the bottom of the third inning, answering the Lions' first run of the day that came earlier in the top of the first off a BU error.
One unearned run is all Baylor starter Will Rigney allowed as he tossed a career-high 5.1 innings and notched three strikeouts in the no decision.
Columbia would tie things at 2-2 in the top of the sixth with an RBI double, but Baylor got back in front in the bottom half of the inning as Chase Wehsener scored on a fielder's choice.
In the top of the eighth, the Lions knotted the tally once more with an RBI single. However, closer Mason Marriott went on to hold them scoreless over the next 2.2 innings as he picked up the first win of his collegiate career.
In the bottom of the 10th, Richardson walked to start things for the Bears. Next, Kyle Nevin doubled off the right field wall, then Wehsener was intentionally walked to set up McKenzie's at-bat. The third-year sophomore preseason All-American wasted no time, driving the second pitch he saw into the right-center gap to send the Bears home happy.
NOTES
• Baylor is now 6-1 all-time against Ivy League teams.
• BU is 77-31 (.713) at home over the last five seasons, including a 5-5 mark at Baylor Ballpark in 2022.
• The 10-inning victory is Baylor's first extra-innings win since April 18, 2019 at No. 16 Texas Tech (11-10, 11 inn.).
• Jared McKenzie's walk-off hit is the first by a Baylor player since Ryan Bertelsman's RBI single on March 27, 2019 against Texas Southern.
• Will Rigney pitched a career-high 5.1 innings, allowing just three hits, one unearned run and recording three strikeouts.
• Jack Pineda extended his on-base streak to 18 games, dating back to 2021.
• Pineda collected two doubles and now leads the Bears with seven extra-base hits on the season.
• Pineda also notched his team-best sixth multi-hit game of the year.
• Tre Richardson produced his third multi-RBI effort of 2022 with a two-run HR, his second of the year.
• Mason Marriott recorded his first-career win in a career-high 2.2 innings.
STAT OF THE GAME
10 – Baylor earned its first extra-inning win since 2019 with Jared McKenzie's walk-off hit in the bottom of the 10th.
TOP QUOTES
Head coach Steve Rodriguez
On the team's resiliency in the win…
"I'll tell you what, our guys showed some resiliency today. We were swinging the bat pretty well all day and there wasn't a lot to show for it. But, Jared [McKenzie] comes up in a big situation in the bottom of the 10th and just gets a humongous hit for us. You know for us, it's a frustrating day when you're hitting the ball hard and you're not getting a lot of hits. I think our guys did a really good job at maintaining that consistency throughout the day and doing a pretty good job. Hats off to Columbia, they stayed right there with us and they took advantage of some of our mistakes. We have something to build on now."
Sophomore OF Jared McKenzie
On coming through with the game-winning hit…
"I knew I was the fourth up to bat that inning. I thought about it in the outfield and once we got three outs, I knew I had an opportunity. And, I was thankful for that opportunity. Thank the good Lord I got a hit, because man, it's been a tough fight these first fifty at-bats. But, I think we're trying to figure out the groove and we're going to be alright."
WHAT'S NEXT
Baylor (9-6) heads to Sam Houston (10-5) for a midweek tilt in Huntsville. First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m. CT at Don Sanders Stadium on Tuesday, March 15.
For the latest news on the Baylor baseball team all season long, follow its official Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts: @BaylorBaseball.
Baylor Bear Insider
After struggling through the first four weeks of the season, trying to find his groove at the plate, Baylor sophomore Jared McKenzie finally got the hit that could "burst open the floodgates."
Batting just .185 when he came to the plate with the bases loaded in the bottom of the 10th inning of Sunday's series finale against Columbia, McKenzie drilled a 1-0 pitch to right-center field to score Tre Richardson for a walk-off 4-3 victory in Sunday's rubber match in the three-game series at Baylor Ballpark.
"Thank the good Lord that I got a hit," said McKenzie, a preseason All-American, "because man, it's been a tough fight through these first 50 at-bats. But, I think we're trying to figure out the groove, and I think we are. We're going to be all right."
Baylor coach Steve Rodriguez was reminded of the 2018 season, when the eventual Big 12 Tournament champions had just got swept by Texas to fall to 14-16. After Davion Downey delivered a game-winning hit in the 12th to beat Sam Houston, 4-2, the Bears won 21 of their next 24 games.
"I told our guys, sometimes you need to pray for fleas," Rodriguez said. "You need to pray for things that are uncomfortable and are going to be hard. Because once you get through that, what comes out on the other side is really impressive. . . . (McKenzie's) hit could be the hit. All it takes is one hit to burst open the floodgates, and hopefully that is the one."
After freshman closer Mason Marriott (1-0) left a runner in scoring position stranded for the third-straight inning, this time with runners on the corners, Tre Richardson led off the 10th with a four-pitch walk.
"Understanding who the hitters are behind me, just having the mentality to pass the bat, that was the thing I was thinking of," Richardson said. "Leading off in the 10th inning, obviously the priority is just getting on base any way you can."
After fouling off two bunt attempts trying to move the runner up, Kyle Nevin hit a double off the right-field wall, moving Richardson to third with nobody out.
Sophomore reliever JD Ogden, who had worked three no-hit innings, intentionally walked cleanup hitter Chase Wehsener to load the bases and create a force at any base. Bad decision.
McKenzie, who hit a no-doubter on a 1-0 pitch, said he was "feeling like his old self" when he went 2-for-3 in the second game of Saturday's doubleheader, including an inside-the-park home run.
"I remember last year, I had a couple of opportunities in the same position and didn't deliver," McKenzie said. "That was my first walk-off ever, so it was a good feeling to just say, 'Hey, I can do it.'''
Richardson, who belted a two-run homer in the third inning to give the Bears the early 2-1 lead, said "any win is exciting."
"But, anytime you can walk it off against a team, especially in the last game of the series – the rubber match – walk-offs are the most fun thing in baseball," he said.
Columbia (4-6) took a 1-0 lead off Baylor starter Will Rigney in the top of the first, when Seth Darder led off with a single through the right side. With runners on the corners and two out, Cole Hage stole second, with Darder scoring an unearned run on catcher Harrison Caley's throwing error.
In the third, Caley had a one-out single and scored on Richardson's second homer of the season, a blast to center field.
"I was just trying to put a good swing on the ball," Richardson said, "and I happened to get it up. And with the wind today, it took off."
Rigney worked into the sixth, giving up no earned runs on three hits and one walk with three strikeouts. But, the Lions tied it at 2-2 on Hage's run-scoring double off reliever Matt Voelker.
The Bears answered in the bottom of the sixth, when Wehsener had a leadoff walk, went to second on a sac bunt by Nevin and moved up when Antonio Valdez beat out an infield single to short. With runners on the corners and one out, Wehsener came home on Alex Gonzales's fielder's choice grounder to short.
Columbia battled back again, tying it up in the eighth. Jeremy Solomon greeted Marriott with an RBI single to left that scored Hage after a leadoff walk and wild pitch.
"They're taking advantage of every opportunity," Rodriguez said. "If you throw them a fastball in the middle of the plate, they're going to swing and swing hard. Their intent is to do some damage. I'm just really happy how we played against a team that is obviously not going to stop and roll over."
Baylor, which has won nine of its last 12, will face Sam Houston State (10-5) at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday in Huntsville before opening league play with a three-game series against No. 21 TCU (11-4) on Friday through Sunday at Baylor Ballpark.
THE RUNDOWN
WACO, Texas – Baylor baseball (9-6) walked off Columbia (4-6), 4-3, in 10 innings on Sunday afternoon at Baylor Ballpark to clinch the series over the Lions.
Jared McKenzie delivered the game-winning RBI with a single that scored Tre Richardson.
Richardson's two-run home run opened the scoring for the Bears in the bottom of the third inning, answering the Lions' first run of the day that came earlier in the top of the first off a BU error.
One unearned run is all Baylor starter Will Rigney allowed as he tossed a career-high 5.1 innings and notched three strikeouts in the no decision.
Columbia would tie things at 2-2 in the top of the sixth with an RBI double, but Baylor got back in front in the bottom half of the inning as Chase Wehsener scored on a fielder's choice.
In the top of the eighth, the Lions knotted the tally once more with an RBI single. However, closer Mason Marriott went on to hold them scoreless over the next 2.2 innings as he picked up the first win of his collegiate career.
In the bottom of the 10th, Richardson walked to start things for the Bears. Next, Kyle Nevin doubled off the right field wall, then Wehsener was intentionally walked to set up McKenzie's at-bat. The third-year sophomore preseason All-American wasted no time, driving the second pitch he saw into the right-center gap to send the Bears home happy.
NOTES
• Baylor is now 6-1 all-time against Ivy League teams.
• BU is 77-31 (.713) at home over the last five seasons, including a 5-5 mark at Baylor Ballpark in 2022.
• The 10-inning victory is Baylor's first extra-innings win since April 18, 2019 at No. 16 Texas Tech (11-10, 11 inn.).
• Jared McKenzie's walk-off hit is the first by a Baylor player since Ryan Bertelsman's RBI single on March 27, 2019 against Texas Southern.
• Will Rigney pitched a career-high 5.1 innings, allowing just three hits, one unearned run and recording three strikeouts.
• Jack Pineda extended his on-base streak to 18 games, dating back to 2021.
• Pineda collected two doubles and now leads the Bears with seven extra-base hits on the season.
• Pineda also notched his team-best sixth multi-hit game of the year.
• Tre Richardson produced his third multi-RBI effort of 2022 with a two-run HR, his second of the year.
• Mason Marriott recorded his first-career win in a career-high 2.2 innings.
STAT OF THE GAME
10 – Baylor earned its first extra-inning win since 2019 with Jared McKenzie's walk-off hit in the bottom of the 10th.
TOP QUOTES
Head coach Steve Rodriguez
On the team's resiliency in the win…
"I'll tell you what, our guys showed some resiliency today. We were swinging the bat pretty well all day and there wasn't a lot to show for it. But, Jared [McKenzie] comes up in a big situation in the bottom of the 10th and just gets a humongous hit for us. You know for us, it's a frustrating day when you're hitting the ball hard and you're not getting a lot of hits. I think our guys did a really good job at maintaining that consistency throughout the day and doing a pretty good job. Hats off to Columbia, they stayed right there with us and they took advantage of some of our mistakes. We have something to build on now."
Sophomore OF Jared McKenzie
On coming through with the game-winning hit…
"I knew I was the fourth up to bat that inning. I thought about it in the outfield and once we got three outs, I knew I had an opportunity. And, I was thankful for that opportunity. Thank the good Lord I got a hit, because man, it's been a tough fight these first fifty at-bats. But, I think we're trying to figure out the groove and we're going to be alright."
WHAT'S NEXT
Baylor (9-6) heads to Sam Houston (10-5) for a midweek tilt in Huntsville. First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m. CT at Don Sanders Stadium on Tuesday, March 15.
For the latest news on the Baylor baseball team all season long, follow its official Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts: @BaylorBaseball.
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