April 9, 2005
WACO, Texas - A six-run fifth inning opened the flood gates for No. 15 Baylor as the Bears scored in each of their final four at bats en route to an 11-3 victory over Kansas State in the second game of the teams' Big 12 Conference series Saturday night at Baylor Ballpark. Baylor (21-12, 8-3) clinches the series with the win and has now won 14 against Kansas State (15-14, 2-9) at home as Big 12 foes.
Both starters carried no-hitters into the fifth inning, but the Bears undid K-State's Mitch Walter with six runs on six hits and a Wildcat error in the bottom of the fifth. Kevin Sevigny got the scoring started with an RBI triple, and Paul Witt followed with a run-scoring single.
After a Michael Griffin single, Kevin Russo plated Witt on a bunt single, and two batters later Josh Ford scored Griffin and Russo with a triple off the base of the wall in right center. Ford scored the frame's final run when Eric Eymann's errant throw from short prolonged the inning.
Meanwhile, Baylor starter Mark McCormick carried his no-hit bid into the sixth. However, a one-out error was followed by a Joe Roundy double to right-center for Kansas State's first hit of the night. Steve Murphy then singled in Roundy, cutting Baylor's lead to 6-2. McCormick finished the frame, striking out Jared Goedert and getting Eymann to groundout.
McCormick (4-2) allowed just two runs, one earned, on two hits and two walks with seven strikeouts in 6.0 innings. He gave way to Jeff Mandel, who allowed a hit and a walk with three strikeouts in 2.0 scoreless innings. Randall Linebaugh pitched the ninth, allowing one unearned run on two hits.
After Kansas State cut into the Bears' lead with two runs in the sixth, Baylor responded with a run in the bottom of the inning and three in the seventh. Griffin doubled with two outs in the sixth and then scored on a Russo single. In the seventh, Sevigny and Witt produced back-to-back one-run and two-run doubles, respectively, with two outs. Jake Rippee capped the Bears scoring with a two-out RBI double in the eighth.
Walter (2-3) took the loss, allowing five runs on five hits and a walk with no strikeouts in 4.2 innings.
Griffin, Russo, Sevigny and Witt had two hits each for the Bears, while Witt drove in three runs and the other three scored twice each.
Baylor and Kansas State conclude their three-game series Sunday at 1 p.m. CDT. The Bears send southpaw Cory VanAllen (5-2) to the mound, opposite right-hander Adam Cowart (6-1).
NOTES: Baylor leads the all-time series 23-6, including a 15-1 advantage in games played in Waco. The Bears hold a 22-5 advantage in the series as Big 12 foes. ... Baylor improves to 7-2 this season in McCormick starts and 6-3 in Saturday games. ... The Bears are now 15-1 when scoring first, 13-0 when leading after five innings, 17-0 after six and 18-0 when leading after the seventh or later. ... Ford extended his hitting streak to nine games, the longest by a Bear this season and a match of his career long. ... Ford also reached base for the 28th consecutive game. He has reached safely in 32 of 33 games this season. ... Griffin (five games), Zach Dillon (four), and Reid Brees (four) all extended hitting streaks, as well. Gerdes (four games) did not extend his hitting streak, but it did not end as he walked twice. Kyle Reynolds saw hit three-game streak end. ... Rippee's eighth-inning double was the first extra-base hit of his career and produced his first career RBI. ... Mandel has not allowed an earned run in seven consecutive appearances, allowing only one unearned run in that time. ... Sevigny's triple was the first of his career. ... Russo tied his career high with two runs scored. ... Griffin scored his 163rd career run, tying Brad Meyer (1984-87) for eighth all-time at Baylor.
