May 2, 2006
Box Score
WACO, Texas - Kevin Sevigny's three-run home run to left-center ignited a five-run first inning as Baylor defeated Texas-Arlington 14-5 Tuesday night at Baylor Ballpark. The Bears (28-19) improved to 10-4 in midweek games this season, including an 8-2 mark at home. It also was Baylor's third victory in as many meetings with UT-Arlington (20-28) this season.
Baylor's five-run first inning was its highest-scoring first inning since May 2, 2003, at Kansas State. That day, the Bears scored eight first-inning runs in the first game of a doubleheader and then scored five first-inning runs in the night cap.
After Sevigny's fourth round-tripper of the season, Baylor put runners at first and second with one out. Tim Jackson plated both runners with a double down the line in left.
That was all the run-support starter Randall Linebaugh (5-0) needed as he held the Mavericks to two runs, one earned, on six hits and a walk with a career-high seven strikeouts over 6.0 innings. Linebaugh has won six consecutive games to begin his career, the best start by a Baylor hurler since Abe Woody's school-record 11-0 start over the 2003 and 2004 seasons.
Baylor added two runs in the third on a Jackson RBI groundout and a Kevin Russo sacrifice fly. UTA got on the board in the fourth on Adam Moore's solo home run. It was the first Maverick home run at Baylor Ballpark since April 30, 2002, a span of eight games.
The Bears were quick to answer with four runs on five hits in the bottom of the fourth. After a Seth Fortenberry RBI triple, Mike Pankratz blasted a two-run homer over the batter's eye in center. Ben Booker then drew a walk and later scored on another Russo sacrifice fly.
UTA got an unearned run in the sixth, answered by Baylor's two unearned runs in the bottom of the inning. Fortenberry had an RBI single, and Booker had a sacrifice fly. Beamer Weems pushed Baylor's lead to 14-2 with an RBI double in the sixth. The Mavericks got a run in the seventh and two more in the ninth, but it was not enough.
Austin Bridges (3-4) took the loss for the Mavericks, allowing five runs on four hits and two walks over just 1.0 inning of work.
Sevigny finished the night 3-for-4 with three runs scored and three RBI. Jackson was 2-for-4 with three RBI, while Fortenberry, Pankratz and Weems also turned in two-hit performances. Fortenberry, Pankratz and Russo each recorded two RBI, and Zach Dillon scored twice.
Baylor takes a respite this weekend for final exams, returning to the field Tuesday, May 9, against Texas State at Baylor Ballpark.
NOTES: Baylor leads the all-time series 69-28, including a 42-12 advantage in games played in Waco. The Bears are 23-8 against UTA under head coach Steve Smith. ... Fortenberry's triple was his eighth of the season. He now is tied with four other players for the national lead in triples this season. He also moved into a fourth-place tie on Baylor's single-season triples list, matching Michael Griffin's 2003 total.
