Feb. 20, 2009
Box Score
WACO, Texas - Dan Evatt's bases-loaded, walk-off single in the bottom of the 10th snapped a 1-1 tie and gave No. 8 Baylor a 2-1 victory over Pacific in the 2009 season opener for both teams Friday night at Baylor Ballpark. It was the first career hit for Evatt, a redshirt freshman.
Shaver Hansen led off the bottom of the 10th with a double off the top of the wall in right. Raynor Campbell then reached on an infield single, and Dustin Dickerson was intentionally walked to load the bases. Evatt swung through the first two pitches he saw but lined Andrew Mintun's 0-2 offering to the warning track in left-center, scoring Hansen with the game-winning run.
That made a winner of true freshman Logan Verrett (1-0), who scattered three hits and a walk over 4.0 scoreless innings of relief. Verrett had seven strikeouts on the night. Starter Kendal Volz allowed one run on two hits and two walks with five strikeouts over 6.0 innings.
Baylor trailed 1-0 entering the bottom of the ninth. Adam Hornung doubled with one out, but pinch runner Chris Slater found himself still at second with two outs. Gregg Glime then lined the first pitch he saw into right, where Pacific right-fielder Mike McKeever could not make the catch despite a diving effort. Slater scored easily from second, tying the game.
Thomas Berolzheimer (0-1) took the loss in relief. He entered the game at the start of the ninth inning and exited after yielding Hansen's leadoff double in the 10th. Starter Joey Centanni scattered two hits and two walks with five strikeouts over 6.0 scoreless innings. Mark McCain struck out four and allowed one hit and a walk in 2.0 scoreless innings of relief before giving way to Berolheimer.
Pacific snapped a scoreless tie in the top of the sixth when McKeever snaked a two-out, seeing-eye single up the middle that plated Nick Longmire.
The Tigers had a chance to push their lead to two runs in the top of the ninth but were denied by a strong Baylor defensive play. With runners on the corners and one out, Kurt Wideman lay down a bunt to the first-base side of the mound. Verrett pounced on the ball and threw a strike to the plate, where Glime tagged out the runner trying to score from third.
Glime and Hansen each had two hits for the Bears, who won their season opener for the second consecutive season.
Baylor and Pacific continue their three-game series Saturday at Baylor Ballpark. First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m. CST. The Bears send sophomore right-hander Shawn Tolleson (6-2, 5.06 ERA in 2008) to the mound, while the Tigers counter with senior right-hander Cole Akins (1-5, 6.75 ERA).
NOTES: Baylor leads the all-time series 2-1, including a 2-0 edge in games played in Waco. €¦ Baylor improves to 9-6 in season openers during head coach Steve Smith's tenure. The Bears are 24-16 in season openers since 1970. €¦ Baylor improves to 11-4 in home openers during Smith's tenure. The Bears are 38-12 in home openers since 1960. €¦ Baylor improves to 12-18 all-time against teams currently playing as members of the Big West Conference. €¦ Baylor improves to 16-7 in extra-inning games since the start of the 2003 season. €¦ Volz hit three batters, equaling his season total from last season. €¦ Verrett's seven strikeouts were the most by a Baylor pitcher in relief since Craig Fritsch established a Baylor single-game record with 10 strikeouts in relief against Sam Houston State last season. €¦ Volz has not been given more than four runs of support in a start since March 14, 2008, a streak of nine consecutive starts. He has been given more than five runs of support only once in his last 14 starts dating back to the 2007 season.
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