April 26, 2009
Box Score | Quotes | 
WACO, Texas -- Ross Hubbard's two-out, three-run homer capped a six-run seventh inning as No. 13 Oklahoma rallied past No. 9 Baylor for an 11-8 victory in Sunday's Big 12 Conference series finale at Baylor Ballpark. Baylor (25-17, 10-10) has lost six straight overall and four straight in conference play. Oklahoma (33-11, 11-7) became the first Big 12 team to sweep a three-game series in Waco since Oklahoma State accomplished the feat in 1998.
Joey Hainsfurther's two-out RBI single completed a three-run fourth inning and staked Baylor to an 8-3 lead. However, the Sooners began chipping away at the deficit with solo spots in the fifth and sixth innings.
Jamie Johnson opened the seventh with a solo home run, Bryant Hernandez followed with a double, and Aaron Baker tied the game with a two-run homer. A Baylor error and a bloop single to right put runners on the corners with two outs and set the stage for Hubbard's game winning blast. It was Oklahoma's fifth round-tripper of the day, tying a Baylor Ballpark single-game record for opponents; the Sooners also hit five at the facility in the 1999 finale.
Chase Anderson (1-1) earned the victory for the Sooners. He held the Bears scoreless on one hit and two walks with five strikeouts over 4.1 relief innings. Ryan Duke retired the side in order for his conference-lead tying 10th save of the season.
Shawn Tolleson (0-1) took the loss; he surrendered six runs - three of which were earned - on eight hits and a walk with six strikeouts over 4.0 relief innings. Starter Willie Kempf allowed five runs on six hits and three walks with five strikeouts; he left the game after allowing the first two batters of the sixth inning to reach base safely.
The first inning was a foretaste of things to come with winds whipping straight out to center at 20-25 miles per hour with gusts reaching 33 mph. Each team had two solo homers in the first. Baker and J.T. Wise provided long balls for the Sooners in the first, while Dustin Dickerson and Aaron Miller returned the favor in the bottom half.
Baylor and Oklahoma traded solo spots in the second inning, and Dan Evatt gave the Bears their first lead of the series with a two-run homer in the third. Shaver Hansen blasted his conference-leading 15th homer of the season in the fourth, a two-run shot to right-center. Aaron Miller followed with a walk and later scored on Hainsfurther's two-out single.
The two teams combined for nine home runs on the day, two shy of the facility record. Baylor and UTSA combined for 11 home runs in a game during the 1999 season; the Bears hit a Baylor Ballpark record eight homers in that game. Baylor has now homered in 15 consecutive games, a school record.
Dickerson and Hainsfurther each had two hits for the Bears. Miller drew three walks and scored three runs, while Dickerson scored twice.
Baylor returns to action Tuesday, hosting UTSA (25-18) for a doubleheader. First pitch of the opener is scheduled for 4 p.m. CDT at Baylor Ballpark. The teams originally were scheduled to play a single game, but a second game was added to replace the March 11 non-conference game against Texas, which was cancelled due to inclement weather.
NOTES: Baylor leads the all-time series 32-31, including a 21-13 advantage in games played in Waco. The Bears are 21-20 against Oklahoma during the Big 12 era, but the Sooners hold a 20-19 edge in regular-season meetings. Baylor is 22-25 against Oklahoma during head coach Steve Smith's tenure. ... Hansen extended his hitting streak to five games. ... Hansen moved into a ninth-place tie on Baylor's single-season home run list. He ranks second at Baylor since the bat weight-length ratio restrictions were implemented in 2000. Hansen has nine home runs in Big 12 play this season, tying six others for second on Baylor's all-time list. He is one shy of Charley Carter's 1998 record. ... Baylor now has 63 home runs on the season, the fifth-best season total in school history.
