Bears Right Ship, Pound Oklahoma State 14-0

Baseball 4/7/2006 12:00:00 AM

April 7, 2006

WACO, Texas - Ryan LaMotta tossed Baylor's first complete-game shutout in more than two years and the Bears scored seven runs in the sixth en route to a 14-0 Big 12 Conference series-opener victory Friday night at Baylor Ballpark. Baylor (20-11, 5-5) has won seven consecutive Big 12 series openers, going 11-2 in such games since the start of the 2005 season. Oklahoma State (18-9, 3-4) has lost four straight Big 12 road games.

LaMotta (5-2), who made just his 12th start in 104 career appearances Friday night, did not allow a hit after a leadoff single in the third. He retired the game's final 11 batters after a one-out walk in the sixth and faced three batters over the minimum. LaMotta got help from two inning-ending double plays, and only one runner reached scoring position - Ty Wright, who singled and stole second in the second inning.

It was Baylor's first complete-game shutout since Mark McCormick's five-hit effort March 20, 2004, against Texas A&M at Baylor Ballpark. The shutout also comes on the heels of a three-game stretch in which Baylor pitchers surrendered 46 runs in 25 innings.

LaMotta finished with four strikeouts and two walks for his first career complete game, using just 102 pitches on the night. He has not allowed a run in 19.1 consecutive innings. It also was LaMotta's fourth straight start without allowing an extra-base hit, extending a streak of 31.2 consecutive innings without allowing an extra-base hit. LaMotta improved to 3-0 in four Big 12 starts with a 1.23 ERA.

Baylor scored a pair of runs in the third thanks to a pair of hits, two Oklahoma State errors and a sudden change in the wind. At the start of the game, the wind was blowing from left to right at 10-15 mph. However, with a Kevin Sevigny at the plate, one out and Chase Gerdes at the plate, a front blew through Waco and the winds shifted to straight in from center at 30-35 mph.

Gerdes singled through the left side, pushing Sevigny to third and advancing to second when Wright's throw to third skipped away. Beamer Weems then reached on a throwing error by third baseman Tyler Mach, sliding underneath the tag on Mach's high throw to first.

Zach Dillon followed with a sacrifice fly to score Sevigny, only after an infield pop up was blown into foul territory and could not be caught by four converging Cowboys. Seth Fortenberry then doubled on another infield pop up that was pushed away from the Oklahoma State infielders; Gerdes scored on the play.

Jeff Mandel put Baylor ahead 3-0 with a fourth-inning sacrifice fly, but it was the seven-run sixth that put the game away. With the bases loaded and one out, the Bears scored a run in four consecutive plate appearances as Sevigny singled, Gerdes was hit by a pitch, Weems singled and Dillon was hit by a pitch. After Fortenberry reached on a fielder's choice that forced out Gerdes at home, Matt Sodolak cleared the bases with a three-run triple down the line in right.

Baylor added three runs in the seventh on RBI hits from Gerdes, Weems and Dillon; Weems' was a double. Gerdes added another RBI single in the ninth.

Gerdes finished the night 3-for-5 with two runs and three RBI. Weems, Ben Booker, Kevin Russo and Sevigny each had two hits as the Bears tallied 15 knocks as a team. Dillon and Sodolak joined Gerdes with three RBI apiece. All nine Baylor starters had at least one hit, eight of the nine scored and eight of the nine had at least one RBI.

Baylor and Oklahoma State continue their three-game series Saturday at 6 p.m. CDT. The Bears send southpaw Cory VanAllen (3-3, 4.08) to the mound. Oklahoma State has not yet announced a starter.

NOTES: Oklahoma State leads the all-time series 29-20, including a 16-15 since the inception of the Big 12. The series is tied 13-13 in regular-season Big 12 meetings. ... Friday was Baylor's largest margin of victory in a Big 12 game since a 14-0, seven-inning with March 30, 2001, against Kansas State. It tied for Baylor's fifth-largest margin of victory against a Big 12 opponent, and it matched the 2001 game against Kansas State as Baylor's largest margin of victory in a shutout against a Big 12 opponent. ... LaMotta moved into sixth place on Baylor's career strikeouts list. With 230 career strikeouts, LaMotta passed Justin Taylor on Baylor's all-time list. ... Mandel extended his hitting streak to five games, a career long streak. Dillon also has hit safely in three straight, and he has reached safely in 15 straight and in 51 of his last 52 contests.

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