April 18, 2006
Box Score
WACO, Texas -- - Baylor scored eight runs in the first three innings and held on for an 8-5 victory Tuesday night over Texas State at Baylor Ballpark. The win snapped a four-game skid for the Bears (23-15), the longest Baylor losing streak since early March, 2004. Baylor has won three straight against Texas State (19-21).
Kevin Sevigny got the bottom of the first started for the Bears with a leadoff double down the line in left. It was Sevigny's first game in the leadoff spot since the third game of the season. After a Seth Fortenberry sacrifice bunt, Beamer Weems plated Sevigny with a sacrifice fly.
The Bears added three runs in the second on three hits and two Texas State errors. Sevigny capped the inning with an RBI double, posting the first multiple-double game of his career.
Baylor stretched its lead to 8-0 in the third on a two-run Chase Gerdes triple followed by a Ben Booker two-run homer. It was Booker's second round-tripper of the season, both coming the last five games.
Meanwhile, Baylor starter Randall Linebaugh looked strong in his first start since leaving the March 28 game against Texas Southern with an arm injury. Linebaugh, who pitched two-thirds of an inning in relief last Friday at Texas, earned the victory. On a predetermined pitch count, Linebaugh (4-0) allowed two runs, one earned, on four hits and two walks with four strikeouts over 4.0 innings.
Texas State scratched its way back into the game in the middle innings. After a two-spot in the fourth, the Bobcats got an unearned run in the fifth and then pulled to within four runs with a triple and an RBI groundout in the sixth. Texas State put runners on the corners with two outs in the eighth, but Nick Cassavechia entered the game and struck out Dawid Bednarek to end the inning.
Cassavechia, who allowed an unearned run in the ninth, recorded his third save of the season with one walk and two strikeouts in 1.1 innings.
Booker led the way for the Bears offensively, going 3-for4 with a double, a home run, two runs, two RBI and a stolen base. Sevigny and Kevin Russo added multiple-hit games.
Baylor returns to action this weekend with the annual split series against Texas A&M. The Bears and the Aggies meet Friday at 3 p.m. CDT at Olsen Field in College Station. The series then shifts to Baylor Ballpark for Saturday's 6 p.m. contest and Sunday's 2 p.m. finale.
