WACO, Texas – Baylor baseball (3-8) split a doubleheader with Youngstown State (3-8) on Saturday at Baylor Ballpark in Waco.
 
The Bears took game one, 12-5, thanks in part to a seven-run eighth inning. Freshman C Zach Mazoch hit his first-career home run, while fellow freshman INF Kolby Branch hit his second grand slam of the season. Sophomore RHP Mason Marriott gave the Bears six solid innings on the mound, striking out five, though junior righty Andrew Petrowski earned the win, the first of his career.
 
In the nightcap, BU erased a 4-1 deficit to go ahead 5-4 in the seventh, but couldn't close it out as YSU scored one in the ninth and two in the 10^th to steal another victory. Junior INF/OF Cole Posey hit his first home run as a Bear and junior INF Will Pendergrass had the first multi-RBI game of his Baylor career in the loss. Junior southpaw Cam Caley struck out a career-high six, and right-handed reliever Jared Matheson worked 3.1 strong innings with a career-high five punchouts, though it wasn't enough.
 
THE RUNDOWN – GAME ONE
Baylor wasted no time getting on the board to begin the day, as junior LHP/OF Kobe Andrade doubled in Branch for a quick 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first. YSU would tie it on a Baylor error in the fourth, one of the Bears' five errors in the first game. In fact, four of the Penguins' five runs would be unearned.
 
In the bottom of the fourth, sophomore INF Austin Stracener's sacrifice fly broke the deadlock and gave BU a 2-1 advantage. A three-spot in the fifth swelled the lead to 5-1, as Mazoch crushed his first-career shot.
 
YSU inched back with a pair of runs in the seventh and two more in the eighth to tie it at 5-5, but Baylor wouldn't be denied as seven runs came across with two outs in the bottom of the eighth to break it open. Mazoch walked with the bases loaded to set up sophomore 1B John Ceccoli's pinch-hit, two-run single. After Stracener walked to load the bases again, Branch delivered the knockout blow, his second grand slam of the year, to move the tally to 12-5.
 
THE RUNDOWN – GAME TWO
In the nightcap, things started slow for the Bears at the plate while Cam Caley was effective on the mound. The junior lefty scattered nine hits and allowed three runs, but struck out a career-high six batters through five innings.
 
That's when Posey struck in the bottom of the fifth with a solo blast to put Baylor on the board, trailing 3-1. The Penguins answered with a run in the top of the sixth, but BU responded in the home half with a sac fly RBI from Hunter Simmons and another pinch-hit, two-run single, this time from Pendergrass to even the scoreline at 4-4.
 
In the bottom of the seventh, Branch came around to score on a screaming ground ball that deflected off YSU's second baseman for a run-scoring error and a 5-4 Baylor lead. Matheson was ultimately chased from the game after a one-out double in the top of the ninth, after he had thrown over 50 pitches. The Penguins were able to score the game-tying run with two outs in the ninth, then plate two more in the top of the 10^th, and hold the Bears scoreless in the bottom half for the doubleheader split.
 
HIGHLIGHTS
• Baylor is now 2-2 all-time against Horizon League opponents.
• BU pitchers have eclipsed double-digit strikeouts in eight of 11 games this season.
• The Bears struck out a season-high 14 batters in game two of the doubleheader.
• Sophomore RHP Mason Marriott worked a career-best six innings and struck out five.
• Junior RHP Andrew Petrowski garnered the first win of his collegiate career.
• Junior LHP/OF Cam Caley struck out a career-high six batters.
• Junior RHP Jared Matheson worked a personal-best 3.1 innings and fanned a career-high five.
• Freshman C Zach Mazoch crushed his first-career home run, a three-run shot, for his second multi-RBI game of the season.
• Freshman INF Kolby Branch hit his second grand slam of the season. It was his third multi-RBI game of the year.
• Branch also extended his on-base streak to 11 games.
• Junior INF/OF Cole Posey hit the first home run of his Baylor career, and fifth of his collegiate career.
• Posey also tallied multiple hits for the first time in a game this season.
• Junior INF Will Pendergrass racked up his second multi-hit game of the year and first multi-RBI game of the season.
• Sophomore 1B John Ceccoli also collected his second multi-RBI game of the 2023 campaign.
• Junior LHP/OF Kobe Andrade notched his team-leading fourth double of the season.
• Sophomore INF Hunter Teplanszky tripled for the first time this season.
• Freshman C Walker Polk made his collegiate debut and went 1-for-3 with a double.
 
STAT OF THE DAY
4 – Four Bears had multi-RBI games on the day, including freshmen Kolby Branch and Zach Mazoch who each homered.
 
QUOTABLE
Head Coach Mitch Thompson
On splitting the two games…
"Baseball is always two totally different games. The first game we ended up getting a couple of big knocks, a grand slam and a three-run bomb, those are great things. Tonight, [Cole] Posey's home run was a solo shot. The games were just different. [YSU] out-competed us tonight at the end of the game. We fought back, took the lead, and had a really nice relief outing by Jared Matheson. We left too many guys on base when we did have chances and we've got to swing the bats better. Five hits isn't going to cut it. I give Youngstown State credit, they played well and they beat us."
 
Junior INF/OF Cole Posey
On the team's morale after splitting the doubleheader and his first home run as a Bear…
"Yeah, you know it was frustrating that we couldn't get that second win, but we're coming along little by little. I know the results don't really show it, but the morale in the clubhouse is good. We're going to get there. It was special to get my first home run. Baylor is where I've always wanted to be. It took a few stops to get here, but hitting a home run in a Baylor uniform with my parents here, that was pretty cool. It just stinks that we couldn't pull out the win."
 
Freshman C Zach Mazoch
On his first-career home run…
"It felt good, obviously, I mean you dream about this since you're about two years old. I was looking for a fastball in and I got it. It was my pitch."
 
WHAT'S NEXT
Baylor (3-8) and Youngstown State (3-8) finish out the four-game set on Sunday, March 5, at Baylor Ballpark in Waco. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m.
 
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