March 13, 2007
Box Score
WACO, Texas -- Inclement weather in the Central Texas area forced the cancellation of Baylor's baseball action Tuesday at Baylor Ballpark. The Bears' suspended game from Sunday against Winthrop (11-9) becomes official with Baylor (12-7) winning 5-2. The regularly scheduled Tuesday game has been cancelled; Baylor will add a game to replace Tuesday's for a date to be determined.
With Baylor's victory, Mississippi State claimed the team title for the Quala-T Imprints Baylor Classic. The Bears and the Bulldogs both finished the weekend 2-1, but MSU defeated Baylor 8-6 in Saturday night's meeting.
Randall Linebaugh (2-1) earned the victory, holding Winthrop to two runs on two hits and three walks with two strikeouts in 6.2 innings. Linebaugh flirted with a no-hitter, but Winthrop's Phil Carey led off the seventh with a single to center. Nick Cassavechia earned his third save of the season; he entered the game with runners at first and second and no outs in the eighth and escaped unscathed.
Winthrop starter Josh McDonald (1-1) was saddled with the loss; he allowed three runs on nine hits and two walks with three strikeouts over 6.0 innings.
Chase Gerdes carried the offensive load for the Bears, going 3-for-4 with two RBI, two doubles and a steal of third. Gerdes had four doubles and six stolen bases on the week, including four steals of third.
Dustin Dickerson was 2-for-4 with a double, a triple and two runs scored. Seth Hammock was 2-for-3 with an RBI double, a walk and a run scored.
The Bears scored single spots in the second, fourth and fifth innings. Winthrop finally got to Linebaugh for a couple runs in the top of the seventh, but Baylor was quick to answer with two runs, as well. Dickerson had an RBI triple, and Gerdes later scored Dickerson with an RBI double.
Baylor returns to action this weekend, opening Big 12 Conference play with the annual split series against 10th-ranked Texas. The Bears and the Longhorns play Friday at 2 p.m. CDT at Disch-Falk Field in Austin. The series then moves to Baylor Ballpark for Saturday's 6:30 p.m. game and Sunday's 2 p.m. finale.
NOTE: Per Rule 10, Section 28.a A.R. 1, statistics from the top and bottom of the eighth inning in Baylor's game against Winthrop count.
