April 8, 2006
Box Score
WACO, Texas - Baylor's 1-4 batters went 7-for-13 with five runs and five RBI to spearhead the Bears 8-2 win over Oklahoma State in Saturday night's Big 12 Conference game at Baylor Ballpark. After winning Friday's series opener 14-0, Baylor (21-11, 6-5) has clinched the series victory. Oklahoma State (18-10, 3-5) falls to 0-5 this season in Big 12 road games.
After Oklahoma State scored a run on a walk, a single and a double play in the top of the first, Baylor answered with two runs on three hits and an OSU error in the bottom of the inning and never trailed again. Zach Dillon's sacrifice fly tied the game, and Kevin Russo's RBI single gave the Bears a 2-1 lead.
Baylor added three unearned runs in the third on a Russo sacrifice fly, a Tim Jackson RBI single and a Matt Sodolak RBI double.
Tyler Mach led off the top of the fourth with a home run down the line in left, his seventh round-tripper of the season. Oklahoma State went on to load the bases with two outs in the inning thanks to a single, a hit batter and a Baylor error. However, Baylor starter Cory VanAllen forced Keanon Simon to foul out on the next pitch to get out of the jam.
The Bears responded with another three spot in the bottom of the fourth on a Kevin Sevigny RBI single, a Beamer Weems RBI double and a Dillon RBI single.
VanAllen (4-3) allowed two runs on five hits and two walks with six strikeouts over 6.0 innings to earn the victory. Jeff Mandel notched his seventh save of the season. Mandel walked two and hit one with three strikeouts in 3.0 no-hit innings.
Oklahoma State starter Brae Wright (3-2) was charged with the loss; he allowed six runs, two earned, on six hits with two strikeouts over 3.0-plus innings, facing one batter in the fourth.
Weems, Dillon, Russo and Booker each had two hits; Weems scored three times, and Dillon and Russo each had two RBI. Seth Fortenberry was 1-for-3 with a sacrifice and two runs scored.
Baylor and Oklahoma State conclude their three-game series Sunday at 2 p.m. CDT. The Bears send right-hander Tim Matthews (2-3, 5.82) to the mound. Oklahoma State has not yet announced a starter.
NOTES: Oklahoma State leads the all-time series 29-21, but the series is tied 16-16 since the inception of the Big 12. Baylor leads the series 14-13 in regular-season Big 12 meetings. ... This marks the first time in OSU's five visits to Waco since the inception of the Big 12 that Baylor has won the first two games of the series. OSU owns the only sweep in the all-time series, doing so in 1998. That was the last time Baylor was swept in a Big 12 home series. ... Saturday was Baylor's first Saturday victory in Big 12 play this season, snapping a three-game Saturday losing streak. ... Mandel moved into a seventh-place tie on Baylor's single-season saves list. He also moved into an eighth-place tie on Baylor's career saves chart. ... After not recording a multiple-hit game in his first 29 games, Booker has three straight multiple-hit games. ... Dillon (four games), Booker (three), Sevigny (three) and Sodolak (three) all extended hitting streaks. ... Dillon has reached safely in 16 straight and in 52 of his last 53 contests.
