April 8, 2005
Box Score
WACO, Texas - Kyle Reynolds and Kevin Russo both doubled and homered as 15th-ranked Baylor tallied 12 hits in an 8-3 victory over Kansas State in the Big 12 Conference series opener Friday night at Baylor Ballpark. Baylor (20-12, 7-3) improves to 13-0 against Kansas State (15-13, 2-8) at home since the inception of the Big 12 in 1997.
With the game tied 2-2 in the third, Kansas State starter Chase Mitchell hit four batters in a five-batter span with only a Reynolds sacrifice bunt to break the pattern. The fourth resulted in Paul Witt scoring, and Michael Griffin then scored on a wild pitch.
The four hit batters in one inning tied the Big 12 record, the fourth time it has happened and the first in a game involving two Big 12 schools. It marks just the 14th time in NCAA Division I history that four or more batters have been hit in an inning. Five hit batters and six hit batters have happened once each.
The Bears never trailed again, adding three runs in the fourth on Russo's first home run of the season, a Reynolds RBI double and a Ford run-scoring single. Kansas State plated a run in the fifth, but could get no closer. Baylor added another run in the seventh when a Mike Pankratz leadoff single was followed by a Russo RBI double.
Baylor starter Trey Taylor (3-3) worked 5.0-plus innings, facing one batter in the sixth, to earn the victory. He allowed three runs on seven hits and a walk with six strikeouts. Ryan LaMotta held Kansas State scoreless on two hits and a walk with three strikeouts over the next 3.0 innings before Tyler Bullock pitched a scoreless ninth.
Mitchell (3-4) was touched for six runs on five hits with four strikeouts in 3.0-plus innings, facing two batters in the fourth.
Reynolds got the scoring started for Baylor in the bottom of the first, following a Griffin leadoff single with a two-run homer. Kansas State tied the score in the top of the second on an Eric Eymann two-run round-tripper.
Russo and Reynolds both finished 2-for-4 and drove in two runs and three runs, respectively. Chase Gerdes went 3-for-4, and Griffin scored twice.
Baylor and Kansas State continue the three-game series Saturday at 6 p.m. CDT. The Bears send right-hander Mark McCormick (3-2) to the mound, opposite southpaw Mitch Walter (2-2).
NOTES: Baylor leads the all-time series 22-6, including a 14-1 advantage in games played in Waco. The Bears hold a 21-5 advantage in the series as Big 12 foes. ... Baylor improves to 6-3 this season in Taylor starts and 5-4 in Friday games. ... The Bears are now 14-1 when scoring first, 9-0 when leading after three innings, 11-0 after four, 12-0 after five, 16-0 after six and 17-0 when leading after the seventh or later. ... Josh Ford extended his hitting streak to eight games, the longest by a Bear this season and one shy of his career long. ... Ford also reached base for the 27th consecutive game. He has reached safely in 31 of 32 games this season. ... Griffin (four games), Gerdes (four), Dillon (three), Reynolds (three) and Brees (three) all extended hitting streaks, as well. ... LaMotta did not allow a run for the 10th consecutive appearance. He has pitched 21.0 consecutive scoreless innings. ... Baylor batters were hit five times, tying the school record previously set March 1, 2002, against Texas. ... Ford was hit twice and now has been hit 11 times this season, moving into sixth place on Baylor's all-time single-season list. ... Witt's sacrifice bunt was the 23rd sacrifice of his career, tying three others for fourth all-time at Baylor.
