March 29, 2006
Box Score
WACO, Texas - Seth Fortenberry went 2-for-3 with three runs, three RBI and homered for the second consecutive game as Baylor defeated Sam Houston State 9-6 Tuesday night at Baylor Ballpark. The Bears (18-8) have won nine straight midweek home games dating back to last season. Baylor also has won four straight against Sam Houston State (15-12).
With the Bears trailing 3-0 in the bottom of the fourth, Fortenberry lifted a 2-1 Zach Duncan offering to deep left-center. Bearkat center fielder Jeremy Holzbach jumped for the ball at the wall, but it hit the top of the wall and bounced out of the park for Fortenberry's fifth round-tripper of the season.
Baylor took the lead for good with three runs on three hits and a walk in the fifth. Beamer Weems broke the 3-3 tie with a two-out single up the middle, and Zach Dillon followed with a two-run double to left. After consecutive singles by Fortenberry and Kevin Russo to lead off the sixth, Ben Booker put the Bears up 7-3 with his first of two sacrifice flies on the night.
The Bears added a pair of insurance runs in the bottom of the eighth on a Booker sacrifice fly and a Jeff Mandel RBI double. The runs were beneficial as Sam Houston State scratched for three unearned runs on two hits, a walk and two Baylor errors in the top of the ninth.
Baylor starter Jake Weghorst allowed three runs, two earned, on six hits with one strikeout over 4.0 innings but did not factor in the decision. Cliff Springston (2-0), the first of four Baylor relievers, earned the victory; he allowed two hits with a strikeout in 2.0 scoreless innings of work.
SHSU starter Zach Duncan (0-2) was saddled with the loss after yielding five runs on three hits and two walks with four strikeouts in 4.1 innings.
The Bearkats got three runs on three hits and a Baylor error in the second to take the game's first lead. Clint Mann had an RBI double, and Aaron Cook had an RBI fielder's choice. The other run scored when Booker tried to throw out a runner at home on Cook's fielder's choice; the ball skipped away, allowing Mann to score.
Weems went 2-for-4 and scored twice, while Dillon and Booker had two RBI each.
Baylor returns to action this weekend, traveling to Lubbock, Texas, for a three-game Big 12 Conference series at Texas Tech (20-9, 2-3). The Bears and the Red Raiders meet Friday at 6:30 p.m. CT, Saturday at 2 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m.
NOTES: Baylor leads the all-time series 9-2. ... Fortenberry (seven games), Weems (five) and Russo (four) all extended hitting streaks, while Sevigny saw his three-game streak end.
