March 22, 2009
WACO, Texas -- A pair of big innings proved detrimental for ninth-ranked Baylor in Sunday's series finale as the Bears fell to Texas Tech 13-8. Baylor (14-5, 3-3) snapped a nine-game winning streak at home, while Texas Tech (9-14, 3-3) managed to avoid its first sweep at the hands of Baylor since 1999.
Shaver Hansen's three-run homer in the bottom of the third erased a 1-0 Tech lead, but the Red Raiders responded with a five-run fourth. Garrett Totten's grand slam capped the inning and drove Baylor starter Craig Fritsch from the game.
Baylor pulled back to within one run at 6-4 on Aaron Miller's fifth-inning RBI single. However, Tech quickly answered again, scoring six runs on five hits and a pair of Baylor errors. Chris Richburg's three-run homer, his first of two round-trippers on the day, keyed the inning. Richburg's second homer, a solo shot in the eighth, pushed Tech's lead to 13-4. The Bears got four runs in the bottom of the ninth, but it was too little, too late.
It marked the first time since 1999 and only the second time in the Big 12 era that Baylor won the first two games of a conference series at home and failed to finish the sweep. The last time it happened was against Oklahoma as the Bears dropped that finale 15-11.
Texas Tech starter Chad Bettis (3-0) earned the win. He allowed four runs - three earned - on eight hits and three walks; Bettis recorded a career-high eight strikeouts over 8.0 innings, a career-long outing.
Fritsch (1-3) took the loss; he allowed six runs on four hits and three walks with two strikeouts over 3.0 innings.
Hansen, Miller and Lucas Hileman all had two-hit days for Baylor. Dan Evatt led off the bottom of the ninth with a pinch-hit home run, the first round-tripper of his career. Later in the inning, Josh Ludy had a pinch-hit, three-run homer that was his first career round-tripper.
Richburg finished 3-for-5 with three runs and three RBI for Tech, while Totten was 2-for-4 with five RBI.
Baylor returns to action Tuesday, traveling to Huntsville, Texas, for a midweek game at Sam Houston State. First pitch between the Bears and the Bearkats is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. CDT at Don Sanders Stadium on the Sam Houston State campus.
NOTES: Texas Tech leads the all-time series 71-68; however, the Bears are 43-25 against the Red Raiders in Waco. ... Baylor is 21-30 against Texas Tech during head coach Steve Smith's tenure. ... Baylor suffered its first loss in 11 games this season when the temperature at first pitch was at least 70 degrees. ... Miller extended his career-long hitting streak to 15 games; he also has reached safely in each game this season. ... Hileman (seven games), Dustin Dickerson (six games) and Raynor Campbell (three games) also extended hitting streaks, while Ben Booker saw his there-game streak end. ... The weekend attendance of 10,242 was the eighth-largest total for a three-game series in Baylor Ballpark history.
