March 6, 2009
Box Score | Quotes
WACO, Texas -- Aaron Miller was 2-for-3 with a home run and four RBI and sixth-ranked Baylor scored eight runs in the fifth inning en route to a 14-4 victory over South Alabama in first-day action at the fourth-annual QTI Baylor Classic. The Bears have won three straight overall and improved to 8-2 all-time in their own round-robin event. Earlier in the day, fifth-ranked UC Irvine defeated UAB 13-5.
Miller's home run - a three-run shot to right-center - capped the eight-run fourth and gave the Bears a 14-2 lead. Baylor (8-2) sent 11 men to the plate in the fourth and got doubles from Shaver Hansen, Gregg Glime and Dan Evatt. It was the Bears' highest-scoring inning this season.
Baylor starter Craig Fritsch (1-1) earned the victory, allowing three runs - two earned - on seven hits and a walk with four strikeouts over 5.0-plus innings. Fritsch faced three batters in the sixth before leaving the game; all three batters reached, two by virtue of being hit, as Fritsch showed signs of having sat through the Bears' eight-run fifth.
Willie Kempf allowed one hit with three strikeouts over 2.0 scoreless innings. Reed Woytek worked the final two frames, yielding one run on three hits and no walks with three strikeouts.
The Bears scored three runs on just one hit in the second inning and never looked back. After South Alabama (5-5) scored a run in the top of the third, Baylor plated two runs in the third to take a 5-1 lead. USA got another run in the top of the fourth, but the Bears answered with a run in the bottom of the inning before erupting for the eight-run fifth that put the game away for all intents and purposes.
Each of Baylor's nine starters hit safely in the game save Brooks Pinckard, who walked three times, scored twice, stole a base and had an RBI fielder's choice. Dan Evatt was 2-for-4 with a pair of doubles, two runs scored and two RBI. Joey Hainsfurther was 2-for-2 with a pair of walks, two RBI and a run scored. Hainsfurther has reached safely in each plate appearance in three of the last four games, reaching safely in 14 of 17 plate appearances in that time.
USA starter Matt Jackson (1-1) took the loss, allowing six runs - five earned - on five hits and four walks with two strikeouts over 3.1 innings.
Baylor returns to action Saturday, hosting fifth-ranked UC Irvine in second-day action of the QTI Baylor Classic. First pitch between the Bears and the Anteaters is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. CST. Baylor sends right-hander Kendal Volz (1-0, 0.69 ERA) to the mound, opposite Irvine right-hander Christian Bergman (2-0, 2.70 ERA). South Alabama faces UAB at 2 p.m.
NOTES: The all-time series is tied 1-1. This was the programs' first meeting since South Alabama defeated Baylor 9-3 in the second round of the 1993 NCAA South Regional at Baton Rouge, La. ... Baylor is 12-7 all-time against programs currently playing as members of the Sun Belt Conference. ... Baylor starting pitchers have logged at least 5.0 innings in each of the Bears' first 10 games this season. ... Miller's home run was his fourth in seven career games at the QTI Baylor Classic. Miller, who hit three home runs against Illinois in the Friday-night game of last year's event, has 13 RBI in those seven games. ... Miller (six games) and Hainsfurther (four games) both extended hitting streaks, while Pinckard saw his three-game streak end.
