May 25, 2007
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OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. -- Matt Czimskey homered for the second consecutive game, and Nick Cassavechia earned his second save in as many games as sixth-seeded Baylor knocked off second-seeded and 11th-ranked Missouri 10-5 in Friday's action at the Big 12 Conference Championship.
Baylor (33-24) has won five consecutive games, its longest winning streak since a seven-game run in February. The Bears will reach the Big 12 Championship title game with a win over Oklahoma in Saturday night's pool play finale.
Missouri (39-16) drops to 0-2 in pool play and is eliminated from title game contention. The Tigers, who were beaten by seventh-seeded Oklahoma in Wednesday's opening game, have lost two straight games for the first time since March 30. The Tigers are the highest-ranked opponent Baylor has beaten since sweeping fifth-ranked Nebraska at home last May.
Baylor trailed 4-3 entering the bottom of the fifth, but Shaver Hansen's leadoff double started a five-run inning that gave the Bears an 8-4 lead. After Paul Miles reached on a fielder's choice sacrifice bunt, Ben Booker knocked a game-tying RBI single to right-center. Chase Gerdes followed with an infield single that scored Miles and gave Baylor a lead it would never relinquish.
Beamer Weems pushed Baylor's lead to 6-4 with an RBI double to left-center, and Czimskey followed with a two-run single over a drawn-in Missouri infield. It was the ninth time in seven games that Baylor has scored five or more runs in an inning at the Big 12 Championship; the Bears are 7-0 in those games.
Missouri threatened a rally in the top of the seventh. A pair of singles gave the Tigers runners on the corners with one out. Ryan Lollis plated one run with a sacrifice fly to pull Missouri to within three runs at 8-5, but Cassavechia entered the game and struck out Jacob Priday on four pitches to end the inning.
Baylor quickly responded, scoring two runs in the bottom of the seventh. Weems had another RBI double, and Hansen added a run-scoring single.
Cassavechia allowed a one-out single in the eighth and a two-out walk in the ninth but stranded both runners to notch his 10th save of the season. It was his second save of the Big 12 Championship, tying Ryan LaMotta (2004) for the single-season Baylor record and tying LaMotta and Abe Woody for the Baylor career record. Cassavechia has scattered two hits and a walk with three strikeouts in 4.2 innings of relief at this year's event.
Randall Linebaugh (5-3) earned the victory in relief for Baylor. He allowed two runs on three hits and a walk with one strikeout over 3.2 innings. Starter Willie Kempf left the game after a leadoff double in the fourth; he was touched for three runs on five hits and four walks with one strikeout in 3.0-plus innings.
Missouri starter Aaron Crow (8-3) was saddled with the loss; he allowed eight runs on 10 hits and no walks with six strikeouts over 5.0 innings.
Baylor trailed 2-0 after the top of the first, but the Bears quickly answered. Booker doubled down the left-field line on the first pitch of the bottom of the inning and moved to second on a wild pitch. Raynor Campbell scored Booker on a sacrifice fly to deep center. Two batters later, Weems delivered a two-out single to right, and Czimskey followed with a two-run homer to left on a 1-0 Crow offering.
Czimskey, who had a solo home run Wednesday against Oklahoma State, is the fifth Baylor player to hit two or more home runs in a Big 12 Championship, joining Weems (3, 2006), Ron Zboril (2, 2000), Mike Pankratz (2, 2004) and Seth Fortenberry (2, 2006). Czimskey also extended his career-long hitting streak to 18 games, tying Mark Saccomanno's 2003 streak for the seventh-longest in school history.
Missouri recaptured the lead with two runs in the fourth. John McKee led off the fourth with a double to right-center that drove Kempf from the game; he later scored on a Gary Arndt groundout. Evan Frey gave the Tigers a 4-3 lead with a two-out solo home run to right-center.
However, Baylor's five-run fifth erased the deficit as the Bears posted their 15th come-from-behind victory of the season.
Eight of Baylor's nine starters recorded at least one hit and all nine reached safely at least once. Booker, Czimskey and Hansen all had two-hit games, while Gerdes and Weems both finished 3-for-5. Czimskey tallied a career-high four RBI, and Weems finished with two. Booker, Gerdes and Weems each scored twice.
Baylor concludes pool play Saturday, facing seventh-seeded Oklahoma at 8 p.m. CDT. The Bears send freshman right-hander Kendal Volz (5-2, 5.16 ERA) to the mound. The Sooners have not yet named a starter.
NOTES: Baylor leads the all-time series 25-19, including a 6-3 advantage in games played at neutral sites. Baylor and Missouri have met nine times in Big 12 Championship play; that is the most meetings of any two schools in the event's 11-year history. The Bears hold a 6-3 advantage in those meetings. ... Baylor improves to 19-17 all-time in Big 12 Championship play. The Bears have won at least two games in four of the last five events. ... Booker (five games), Miles (four games), Jackson (four games) and Hansen (three games) all extended hitting streaks. ...
Raynor Campbell has reached safely in 28 consecutive games. Czimskey and Dickerson both have reached safely in 23 consecutive games.
