March 4, 2006
Box Score
LONG BEACH, Calif. -- Beamer Weems' seventh-inning RBI single over a drawn-in infield broke a 3-3 tie as Baylor scored five unanswered runs to defeat No. 16 Long Beach State 5-3 Saturday at Blair Field. Baylor (8-3) evens the series with the win after Long Beach State (10-6) took Friday's series opener 4-3.
Long Beach State scored three unearned runs in the bottom of the fourth, piecing together three RBI singles after a leadoff error and a hit batter.
Baylor began its rally with a pair of runs in the top of the sixth. Zach Dillon and Kevin Russo had consecutive one-out singles, and Seth Fortenberry followed with an RBI single through the right side that pushed Russo to third. Matt Sodolak then executed a safety squeeze, bunting home Russo and pulling the Bears within one run.
With Kevin Sevigny at first and one out in the seventh, Chase Gerdes tripled down the line in right, scoring Sevigny and knotting the score. Weems followed with the eventual game-winning hit, lining the first pitch he saw to shallow left-center.
The Bears added an insurance run in the eighth. With runners at first and second and one out, Drew Bias singled to right and scored Sodolak from second.
The rally made a winner of starter Cory VanAllen (2-1), who allowed three unearned runs on six hits and a walk with one strikeout over 6.0 ininngs. Owen Reid allowed one hit over 1.2 scoreless innings, and Jeff Mandel recorded the final four outs with two strikeouts for his fourth save of the season.
Dillon and Russo collected three hits each as the Bears tallied 13 knocks as a team. Gerdes and Bias had two hits each.
Baylor and Long Beach State complete their three-game series Sunday at 3 p.m. CST. The Bears send right-hander Tim Matthews (0-0, 2.08) to the mound, opposite right-hander Vance Worley (1-2, 3.86).
NOTES: Long Beach State leads the all-time series 10-4, including a 6-2 advantage in games played at Blair Field. ... The Bears snapped a six-game losing streak at Blair Field with the win. Baylor had not won at Long Beach State since a 3-2 triumph in the teams' first ever meeting (Feb. 5, 1999). ... Dillon extended his streak of consecutive games reaching base to 19 games. ... Dillon and Russo both tied career highs with three hits each. It was the seventh career three-hit game for both players. ... Since the start of the 2002 season, Baylor is 128-6 when leading after eight innings. The Bears have won 57 of their last 58 such games. ... Dillon (four games) and Fortenberry (three games) both extended hitting streaks.
