April 10, 2009
Box Score | Quotes | 
WACO, Texas -- Greg Folgia's two-run homer in the top of the sixth erased a one-run Baylor lead, and Missouri added a pair of insurance runs in the eighth en route to a 5-3 victory over the seventh-ranked Bears in Friday night's Big 12 Conference opener at Baylor Ballpark. Baylor (21-10, 7-6) suffers consecutive losses for only the second time this season. Missouri (17-17, 6-7) has won four straight and each of the last four series openers against the Bears.
With Baylor leading 2-1, Aaron Senne led off the sixth with a double to left field; Baylor left fielder Ben Booker appeared to have a beat on the fly ball but lost it in the twilight. Folgia followed with his fifth home run of the season, drilling a 2-1 Kendal Volz offering over the wall in right.
Booker nearly atoned for the mistake in the bottom of the inning, but Senne caught Booker's deep drive at the wall in right-center to close the frame. Missouri added a pair of insurance runs in the eighth as each of the first three batters walked to load the bases. After the Bears turned a first-to-home-to-first double play, Folgia scored from third on a wild pitch. Kyle Mach followed with an RBI infield single, pushing the Tigers' lead to 5-3.
Baylor had chances in each of the final two innings. Dustin Dickerson doubled with two outs in the eighth. Shaver Hansen followed with an RBI single to right-center and took second on Senne's fielding error. However, Missouri starter Kyle Gibson struck out Aaron Miller to escape the jam. Booker opened the ninth with a single but was stranded at third.
Gibson (5-3) tossed his fourth complete game of the season, all coming in Big 12 play. He allowed three runs on nine hits, the most he has allowed in any of his nine starts this season. Gibson had six strikeouts and no walks; he hit one batter.
Volz (2-3) yielded three runs on seven hits and two walks with eight strikeouts over 7.0-plus innings, leaving the game after walking Senne to start the eighth. Volz used 129 pitches, a career high. Brooks Pinckard was touched for two runs on one hits and two walks with one strikeout over 2.0 innings.
Baylor grabbed the game's first lead with a two-run first inning. Pickard opened the frame with a single, stole second, moved to third on Dickerson's infield single and scored when Shaver Hansen bounced into a double play. Aaron Miller followed with a solo homer to right, his second round-tripper in as many games.
Missouri got a run back in the fourth when Senne led off with a single and later scored on Steve Gray's two-out double.
Dickerson finished the game 3-for-4, pushing his career-long hitting streak to 17 games. That ties Miller for the longest in the Big 12 this season; it also ties for the ninth-longest streak in Baylor history. Dickerson also has hit safely in 12 consecutive Big 12 games.
Senne, Trevor Coleman and Mach all had two-hit nights for the Tigers.
Baylor and Missouri conclude the series with a doubleheader Saturday. First pitch in the opener is scheduled for 3 p.m. CDT with the second game 45 minutes following the completion of the opener. Baylor sends right-hander Logan Verrett (7-1, 3.13 ERA) to the mound for the first game and right-hander Willie Kempf (3-1, 5.82 ERA) to the mound for the nightcap.
NOTES: Baylor leads the all-time series 25-23, including an 11-10 edge in games played in Waco. However, Missouri has won 10 or the last 12 meetings, including five of the last six at Baylor Ballpark. ... Missouri leads the series 23-22 during the Big 12 era. ... With Friday's result, Missouri remains the lone Big 12 team Baylor has never swept. ... Miller (six games) and Booker (six games) both extended hitting streaks, while Evatt saw his five-game streak end. ... Booker also has hit safely in five straight Big 12 games.
