Volz Pitches Bears Past No. 19 Sooners

Friday, April 6

Waco, Texas

6:30 PM

Baylor

Oklahoma

Volz Pitches Bears Past No. 19 Sooners

4/6/2007 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

April 6, 2007

Box Score | Quotes

WACO, Texas -- Kendal Volz allowed one unearned run on three hits with seven strikeouts over 7.0 innings to lead Baylor past No. 19 Oklahoma 5-2 in the nightcap of Friday's series concluding doubleheader at Baylor Ballpark. Oklahoma (23-11, 4-5) won the first game of the day 5-4, but Baylor (19-15, 4-8) won the series two games to three after winning Thursday night's opener 4-2.

Baylor moved to 6-0 in Big 12 Conference series against Oklahoma in Waco. The home team has won this series every year since the Bears took two of three at Oklahoma in 2000.

Volz (4-1) established a career high for strikeouts in the longest outing of his career. He allowed only three base-runners through the first six innings, all coming from Sooner leadoff batter Aljay Davis, who had a bunt single in the first, a single to right-center in the third and was hit by a pitch in the sixth. No other Sooner reached base until Aaron Reza's leadoff single to shortstop in the seventh. Reza stole second and scored on a Baylor two-out error.

Cliff Springston allowed a run on three hits in the eighth, and Nick Cassavechia retired the side with two strikeouts in the ninth for his sixth save of the season.

Chase Gerdes and Shaver Hansen provided Baylor's offense on the day. Hansen scored the game's first runs with a two-out, two-run single up the middle in the second inning. Gerdes provided what proved to be the game-deciding hit, a two-out, three-run triple down the right-field line in the sixth.

Oklahoma starter Joseph Hughes (5-2) took the loss, allowing five runs on seven hits and four walks with six strikeouts over 5.2 innings. Nich Conaway struck out five in 2.1 innings of perfect relief.

Hansen and Matt Czimskey both finished 2-for-4; Czimskey scored twice.

The Sooners used a three-run sixth to overcome a 2-1 deficit en route to a 5-4 victory in the first game. Mike Gosse had a pinch-hit, two-run double, and Jarod Freeman followed with an RBI double to take a 4-2 lead. Jackson Williams pushed Oklahoma's lead to 5-2 with a two-out RBI single in the top of the eighth.

Williams' single proved to be the difference maker as the Bears rallied for two runs in the bottom of the eighth but could get no closer. Aaron Miller had an RBI groundout, and Tim Jackson followed with a two-out RBI single through the left side. However, Garrett Richards retired the side in order in the ninth for his eighth save of the season.

Jackson was the only Bear with two hits in the opener, going 2-for-4.

Baylor returns to action Tuesday, April 10, hosting TCU for a 6:30 p.m. CDT first pitch at Baylor Ballpark.

NOTES: Baylor leads the all-time series 30-26, including a 21-10 advantage in games played in Waco. The Bears are 19-15 against the Sooners since the inception of the Big 12 Conference and 20-20 against Oklahoma under head coach Steve Smith. ... Cassavechia logged two strikeouts in the ninth inning of the second game, giving him multiple strikeouts in seven consecutive outings. ... Cassavechia's save was the 14^th of his career; he moved into sole possession of fourth place on Baylor's all-time list, passing Jason Jennings (1997-99) and Ryan LaMotta (2003-06). ... Gerdes' triple was the 15^th of his career, tying Mike Briley (1988-91), Marty Crawford (1993-96), Eric Nelson (1996-96) for fifth place on Baylor's all-time list.