April 26, 2006
Box Score
WACO, Texas -- McNeese State pitcher Sam English handcuffed Baylor's bats for a complete-game victory Wednesday night as the visiting Cowboys defeated the Bears 7-0 in midweek action at Baylor Ballpark. Baylor (26-17) snapped an 11-game winning streak against Southland Conference opponents with the loss.
McNeese State (24-16) became the first team to shutout Baylor at home since April 20, 2004, when Dallas Baptist edged the Bears 2-0, a span of 73 games.
Joe Hulett got the scoring started for McNeese State with a one-out RBI double. Hulett advanced to third when Beamer Weems' attempt to get the runner at home sailed to the backstop. Jeramie Broussard then scored Hulett with an RBI groundout.
McNeese State pushed its lead to 6-0 with a four-run fourth. The Cowboys scored the first run on a double steal and a Baylor error. Later in the inning, James Thibodeaux scored two with a two-out double; he then scored on Chris Fontenot's RBI single.
The Cowboys added a run in the ninth on Bryan Cartie's RBI double.
English (4-3) scattered six hits and a walk with six strikeouts. Kevin Russo had three of Baylor's six hits, tying his career high. Zach Dillon, Chase Gerdes and Seth Hammock had Baylor's other three hits; all six knocks were singles.
Baylor's biggest threat came in the sixth when Russo singled through the left side and Beamer Weems reached when McNeese State second baseman David Leatherwood's attempt on a force of Russo at second was late. However, English forced fly outs from Seth Fortenberry and Dillon, and Kevin Sevigny grounded into a fielder's choice to end the inning.
Cliff Springston (2-1) was saddled with the loss in his first career start. The Lorena [Texas] High School product allowed six runs, five earned, on five hits and two walks with three strikeouts over 3.2 innings.
Baylor returns to action this weekend, traveling to Columbia, Mo., for a three-game Big 12 Conference series at Missouri. The Bears and the Tigers meet Friday at 6:30 p.m. CDT, Saturday at 2 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m.
NOTES: The all-time series is tied 8-8, including a 5-5 tie in games played in Waco. The Bears are 4-4 against McNeese State under head coach Steve Smith. ... Dillon extended his hitting streak to nine games, tying his career high. ... Sevigny saw his career-long eight-game hitting streak end. Weems (four games) and Fortenberry (three) also ended streaks. ... Dillon has reached safely in 27 consecutive games. He has reached safely in 42 of 43 games this season and in 108 of 112 games over the past two seasons. ... Hammock made his sixth start of the season Wednesday; he has hit safely in all six starts.
