Feb. 12, 2006
Box Score
WACO, Texas -- Kevin Russo's eighth-inning, two-out single up the middle plated Beamer Weems and Zach Dillon to break a 1-1 tie and give Baylor a 3-1 victory Sunday at Baylor Ballpark in the final game of the Bears' three-game series against Stephen F. Austin. Baylor (3-0) defeated SFA 8-3 in the first game of the doubleheader, giving the Bears a sweep of the season-opening series.
SFA (2-4) held Baylor hitless until Weems lined a single to right-center with two outs in the eighth. After moving to second on a Dillon walk, Weems took third on a wild pitch. Two pitches later, Dillon swiped second, and Russo bounced the next pitch up the middle for the game-winning hit.
Jeff Mandel walked the first batter of the ninth but retired the next three to record his first career save.
Baylor starter Tim Matthews allowed one run on three hits with no walks and six strikeouts in 6.0 innings. All three hits Matthews allowed were leadoff doubles. He worked around the first two, stranding the runner at third in the second and fourth innings. However, Chris Smith's one-out sacrifice fly plated Gabriel Garcia Serano, who led off the sixth with a two-bagger, to tie the score at 1-1.
The Bears got their first run of the game without the benefit of a hit. Russo struck out for what would have been the third out of the fourth inning, but he managed to reach second when the pitch skipped to the backstop. After Russo moved the third on a balk, Seth Fortenberry drew a walk. Baylor then converted a double steal to score the game's first run.
Nick Cassavechia (1-0) earned his first career victory, allowing one hit with one strikeout in 2.0 scoreless innings of relief.
Fortenberry was the star in the day's first game, going 3-for-4 with two runs, three RBI, a triple and a home run.
Baylor scored in the second, third, fourth and fifth innings to support starter Cory VanAllen (1-0), who allowed two hits and a walk with six strikeouts in 5.0 scoreless innings. Erik Forestiere struck out four and allowed one hit in 2.0 scoreless frames. Cliff Springston was touched for three unearned runs on four hits with a strikeout over the final 2.0 innings.
Kevin Sevigny plated Baylor's first run in the opener with a one-out RBI single through the left side. Beamer Weems gave the Bears a 2-0 lead with an RBI ground out. Fortenberry had an RBI triple in the third and later scored. In the fourth, Russo drew a two-out walk; Fortenberry followed with Baylor's first home run of the season down the line in right.
Baylor returns to action Tuesday, hosting Texas-Arlington at 6 p.m. CST at Baylor Ballpark.
NOTES: Baylor leads the all-time series 21-0, including a 17-0 edge in games played in Waco. ... Baylor has now won 25 consecutive games when scoring at least seven runs.
