By Jerry Hill
Baylor Bear Insider
 
WACO, Texas – This is what Friday night games in the Big 12 are supposed to look like, and just another sign that Baylor baseball isn't as far away as its record might indicate.
 
With the wind blowing in, Texas Tech starter Kyle Robinson (3-2) and Baylor's Mason Marriott (0-3) had their way for most of the night and were locked in a classic pitchers' duel through the first five innings.
 
But the 23^rd-ranked Red Raiders (14-4, 2-2) did just enough to pull out a 2-0, series-opening win over the Bears (5-12, 0-4) Friday night before a season-high crowd of 2,718 at Baylor Ballpark.
 
"It's a tough day to hit for both teams," said Baylor coach Mitch Thompson. "You've got good people on the mound getting after it. Obviously, with the wind blowing in, it helped us a little bit, because they hit a few balls that were a little harder than we did. But Mason, (Ethan) Calder and (Drew) Leach holding them to two runs gives us an opportunity to be in the game. Just disappointed we couldn't get a couple runs across."
 
After the Red Raiders went up 2-0 in the fourth inning on a two-out RBI double by 9-hole hitter Dylan Maxcey, the Bears almost tied it up on a shot down the left-field line by Hunter Teplanszky that would have scored Enzo Apodaco and Wesley Jordan. But it hit just inches foul, and Robinson got out of it when Teplanszky flied out to left-center field to end the inning.
 
"We had our chances," said Thompson, whose team left six runners stranded and hit into two inning-ending double plays. "We shot one down the left-field line, and we're about six inches foul, or it's a two-run double. It's a game of inches, and we just didn't do enough on offense to get it done."
 
Marriott had an eventful first inning, striking out the first and last batters looking. But in between, he hit two batters, walked another one and then hit ball-magnet Cade McGee – his league-leading 14^th hit by pitch of the season – to plate the first run of the game.
 
"I was proud of Mason for that, too," Thompson said, "because that inning kind of just got away from – a pitch here, a pitch there. He struck out two guys . . . so it's not like his stuff wasn't good. He was just amped up, probably, and hit a guy, walked a guy, whatever, and gave them one."
 
The Bears got their leadoff batter on three times in the first four innings, but Robinson struck out two batters to end the first, induced a double-play grounder in the third and then worked around an error and Jordan single in the fourth.
 
After giving up 11 runs on 11 hits in 3.2 innings in last Friday's 22-8 loss to Texas, Robinson threw a career-high 7.0 innings, giving up just three hits and two walks with eight strikeouts.
 
"His changeup was really good tonight, there's no doubt about it," Thompson said. "If you're a pitcher with the wind blowing in 50 miles an hour, it gives a pitcher a whole 'nother way of getting after it. We didn't put enough pressure on him. And I'm going to give him credit. But we've got to find ways to get tougher so that we can put a little more pressure on them so we can get a couple runs across.
 
"Losing a 2-0 game isn't any good. We did enough to pitch, we did enough on defense, we've just got to figure out how to get this offense going a little bit."
 
Marriott allowed two runs on five hits, one walk and three hit batters with three strikeouts in 5.0 innings, lowing his ERA to 5.25. The beneficiary of two double plays, Calder was even more efficient, giving up just one hit and a walk while throwing 28 pitches in 3.1 innings of work.
 
"It's big-time," Calder said of the double plays, which included Damian Bravo striking out and getting called for interference on the same play. "Every time you can get a double play, like (shortstop Tyriq Kemp) had, it's really nice; it saves the pitcher's count, for sure."
 
Calder kept Tech scoreless over three innings, keeping the Bears within striking distance down 2-0. Leach gave up a two-out walk and single in the ninth but struck out Travis Sanders with runners on the corner.
 
"That's the job out of the pen," Calder said. "You're coming in and you're trying to get the ballgame where it's at and let the offense work."
 
Baylor brought the tying run to the plate in the bottom of the ninth when Daniel Altman reached on a two-out fielding error on a ball hit up the middle. But reliever Josh Sanders picked up his first save, retiring Teplanszky on a fly out to left.
 
Game 2 is scheduled for 2 p.m. Saturday, with the series finale at 1 p.m. Sunday, with both games streamed on ESPN+.
 
"We've played good teams. Our pitching staff has seen good at-bats all year," Calder said. "We have confidence in our staff, and we have the stuff to compete with anyone."



WACO, Texas – Baylor baseball (5-12, 0-4) dropped a 2-0 ballgame to No. 23 Texas Tech (14-4, 2-2) on Friday night at Baylor Ballpark in Waco.
 
Despite some strong pitching performances from junior right-hander Mason Marriott, sophomore southpaw Ethan Calder and redshirt junior righty Drew Leach, it was the Red Raiders who outdueled the Bears, holding them scoreless on just four hits to take the opening game of the series.
 
Junior outfielder Ty Johnson logged two of BU's four knocks on the night, while fifth-year senior infielder Mason Greer and junior outfielder Wesley Jordan produced the other two.
 
TTU's Kyle Robinson went seven strong to collect the win, allowing just three hits and two walks, while striking out eight. Marriott was the hard-luck loser, after going five innings and allowing two earned runs on five hits, one walk and three strikeouts. Josh Sanders picked up the save for the Red Raiders after recording the final six outs and allowing just one hit.
 
THE RUNDOWN
Tech got on the board in the first inning thanks to four free passes, as Marriott plunked three batters and walked one. The Baylor ace avoided the big inning though, notching a pair of strikeouts to limit the damage.
 
In the bottom of the first, Johnson singled and stole second to get into scoring position, though an inning-ending strikeout left him aboard. Neither side threatened again until the fourth, when a two-out RBI double extended TTU's lead to 2-0.
 
Baylor responded with a pair of baserunners in the home half, though once again Robinson fanned one and got a flyout to squander the threat.
 
Calder came on in the top of the sixth and needed just five pitches to retire the Red Raiders side. Nothing came of Greer's one-out double in the bottom of the frame, as Baylor left its fourth runner on base of the night. But Calder kept cruising over the next two innings, facing the minimum as a pair of double plays prevented any Texas Tech momentum.
 
Unfortunately, it was much of the same for the Bears in the late innings, as no baserunner reached second base over the final three frames and the Red Raiders took the series opener, 2-0.
 
HIGHLIGHTS
• Junior OF Ty Johnson picked up his fourth multi-hit game of the season, leading the Bears with two hits on the night.
• Johnson also stole his second base of the season, having now swiped a bag in back-to-back games.
• Junior OF Wesley Jordan extended his on-base streak to nine games with a single in the fourth inning.
• Fifth-year senior INF Mason Greer has a hit in each of his last eight starts after hitting his third double of the season.
• This was junior RHP Mason Marriott's fourth start of at least five innings, and third such outing allowing two earned runs or less.
• Sophomore LHP Ethan Calder recorded his sixth scoreless appearance of 2024, going 3.1 innings and allowing just one hit.
• Calder has not allowed an earned run over his last 12.2 innings pitched.
• Redshirt junior RHP Drew Leach made his sixth scoreless appearance and third consecutive.
• Leach has fanned at least two batters in five of his eight outings this season, including a pair of strikeouts against Texas Tech.
 
STAT OF THE DAY
12.2 – Sophomore LHP Ethan Calder has not allowed an earned run over his last 12.2 innings pitched.
 
QUOTABLE
Head Coach Mitch Thompson
On tonight's game…
"I thought it was another Friday night game in the Big 12. It was a tough night to hit for both teams. You've got good pitchers out there on the mound getting after it. Obviously with the wind blowing in today, it kind of helped us because they hit a few balls harder than we did. Mason Marriott, [Ethan] Calder and [Drew] Leach, holding them to two runs gave us an opportunity to be in the game. Just disappointed we couldn't get a couple across."
 
On his team's competitiveness…
"They're competing, our guys are competing there's no doubt about it. There were at-bats where we probably got in our heads a little bit and ended up taking a fastball when we were thinking he'd come back with a change. But we were fighting and competing; there's multiple guys who did that."
 
Sophomore Left-Handed Pitcher Ethan Calder
On his performance tonight…
"That's my job out of the 'pen, to come in and try to keep the ballgame where it's at. I felt good, the crowd was amazing, that was nice to see. I was just trying to fill up the zone and do what I usually do. We've played good teams, our pitching staff has seen good bats all year, so we have confidence in ourselves that we have the stuff to compete with anyone."
 
WHAT'S NEXT
Baylor (5-12, 0-4) and No. 23 Texas Tech (14-4, 2-2) are set to return for game two of the series on Saturday at 2 p.m. at Baylor Ballpark.
 
To stay up to date on all things Baylor baseball, follow the team on its official Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts: @BaylorBaseball.