April 5, 2007
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WACO, Texas -- Nick Cassavechia struck out Devin Shepherd with two runners on base to end the game and preserved Baylor's 4-2 victory over No. 19 Oklahoma in Thursday night's series opener at Baylor Ballpark. Baylor (18-14, 3-7) has won 11 of its last 12 conference series openers at home. Oklahoma (22-10, 3-4) has lost the opener in all three of its Big 12 series this season.
Aaron Miller's two-out RBI double in the fourth put the Bears up 1-0; it was Baylor's first hit of the game. Raynor Campbell gave the Bears what proved to be much-needed insurance runs in the seventh with a two-out, three-run homer to left-center.
However, Baylor starter Jeff Mandel was the star of the game. Mandel (4-5) allowed one run on two infield hits - one of which was a bunt - and two walks with five strikeouts over 8.0-plus innings. He allowed only four base runners through the first eight innings. No Sooner reached second base until the ninth.
Mandel made a strong shutout bid, holding the Sooners scoreless for the first eight innings. He hit Oklahoma's leadoff batter in the ninth and was lifted in favor of Cassavechia. After Aljay Davis reached on a bunt single, Cassavechia struck out pinch-hitter Cory Williamson and induced a groundout from Joe Dunigan. Aaron Baker then bounced a seeing-eye single through the middle, plating two runs and denying Baylor its first shutout of the season.
Baylor posted its first win over a nationally ranked opponent since defeating 16th-ranked Arizona State at last year's NCAA Houston Regional. The Bears had lost nine consecutive games against nationally ranked opponents, eight of which were this season and all of which were against teams ranked 14th or better.
The Bears finished with only three hits on the night: Miller's RBI double, Campbell's three-run homer and a Campbell two-out single to left in the fifth.
Baker's ninth-inning single was the only of Oklahoma's four hits on the night to exit the infield. The Sooners had two bunt singles, and Dunigan had a line-drive single off Mandel's foot in the fourth.
Oklahoma starter Stephen Porlier (4-3) was saddled with the tough-luck loss, allowing two runs, one of which was earned, on two hits and two walks with 11 strikeouts over 6.1 innings.
Baylor and Oklahoma conclude the three-game series Friday with a doubleheader at 3 p.m. CDT. The teams were originally scheduled to play single games Friday and Saturday but have moved to a doubleheader Friday due to the threat of inclement weather Saturday.
NOTES: Baylor leads the all-time series 29-25, including a 20-9 advantage in games played in Waco. The Bears are 18-14 against the Sooners since the inception of the Big 12 Conference and 19-19 against Oklahoma under head coach Steve Smith. ... Baylor has won the series opener against Oklahoma each of the past three seasons and in seven of the last eight series. ... Cassavechia logged two strikeouts against Oklahoma, giving him multiple strikeouts in six consecutive outings. ... Thursday night marked the fifth time in 10 conference games this season that the game's first run was scored on an Aaron Miller RBI double. ... Miller (seven games) and Campbell (four games) both extended hitting streaks; Miller's is a career-long streak. Matt Sodolak saw his career-long 12-game hitting streak end. Ben Booker and Chase Gerdes both saw five-game streaks end.
