May 7, 2002

Box Score

WACO, Texas - According to conventional wisdom, it's better to be lucky than good. Southwest Texas was the beneficiary of that rumored luck Tuesday night, as the Bobcats beat 16th-ranked Baylor 6-5 in 11 innings at Baylor Ballpark.

Both teams pounded the ball around the park, combining for 28 hits, but with men in scoring position the Bobcats' hits seemed to fall in while Baylor's blasts went right at the SWT defenders. Both teams stranded runners by the boatful; Baylor (34-18) left 14 men on base, while SWT (31-19) stranded 11 men.

Mike Huggins gave the Bears a 1-0 lead in the first on a sacrifice fly, but Baylor stranded three when Michael Griffin grounded out to end the inning.

The Bobcats pushed across single runs in the third and fourth innings off Baylor starter Justin Taylor before Baylor answered with a three spot in the fourth against reliever Brook Parr. Two walks, a double and a triple after two away gave the Bears a 4-2 lead.

That margin lasted until the sixth, when Taylor tired and gave up two more runs. Jared Theodorakos relieved Taylor with runners on second and third and nobody out, leading 4-2, and gave up a two-RBI single to pinch-hitter Joey Zigal that tied the game.

Paul Thorp relieved Theodorakos after one inning and pitched 1 2/3 of scoreless ball, striking out three of the five batters he faced. In the eighth, he looked to be the winning pitcher after Michael Griffin led off the frame with a triple off the center field wall and scored on Eric Errante's single up the middle.

Normally unflappable closer Kyle Edens (5-5) took the hill for the Bears in the ninth, but gave up a lead-off double to Even Tierce. A one-out single advanced to Tierce to third, from whence he scored on a fielders' choice groundout by Mark Younk to tie the game and force extra innings.

The Bears left two men on in the ninth (including a runner at third), stranded another runner at third in the 10th and ended the game with two men on in the 11th.

Cory Covert (5-4) earned the win, throwing 1 2/3 and giving up just one hit. Usual weekend starter Bobby Sawicki pitched the final 2/3 of an inning to pick up his third save of the year (and his second against Baylor). The pair was just two of eight Bobcat hurlers used in the game.

The loss was only Baylor's second of the season when leading after eight innings; the Bears drop to 26-2 in those games after Tuesday's loss.

With finals beginning at Baylor on Thursday, the Bears now have a week off before hosting 11th-ranked Houston on Tuesday, May 14 at 7 p.m.