April 8, 2009
Box Score
WACO, Texas - Dallas Baptist used a four-run first and a five-run second to take control early and never looked back en route to a 16-3 victory over seventh-ranked Baylor in Wednesday night's midweek action at Baylor Ballpark. Baylor (21-9) suffered its worst defeat of the season, while Dallas Baptist (21-9) won its fourth straight and eighth in its last nine games.
DBU batted around in the first inning with six hits and a walk; it was the first of three innings in which the Patriots batted around on the night. The Bears tried to answer in the bottom of the inning but plated only one run on Shaver Hansen's RBI fielder's choice and stranded runners at first and second. The Patriots stretched their lead to 9-1 with five runs on three hits, three walks and the third of Baylor's four errors on the night.
The game settled down from there, and Baylor got solo homers from Adam Hornung in the fourth and Aaron Miller in the sixth. Dallas Baptist put the game away with a six-run eighth, collecting four hits and sending 11 batters to the plate in the frame.
Baylor starter Trent Blank (1-1) took the loss, allowing four runs - three of which were earned - on six hits and a walk in the first inning. Max Garner yielded the five second-inning runs, only two of which were earned. The Bears used seven pitchers in the game; included in that was Shawn Tolleson, who made his first appearance since March 16. Craig Fritsch was the Bears' most effective pitcher, tossing 2.1 scoreless innings on two hits and no walks with three strikeouts.
Dallas Baptist starter Chris McMullen (5-1) earned the win; he allowed three runs on six hits and a walk with four strikeouts over 8.0 innings. Ryan Behmanesh allowed a leadoff single in the ninth but struck out the next three batters to end the game.
Hornung and Dustin Dickerson each had two hits. Dickerson ran his career-long hitting streak to 16 games, the second-longest in the Big 12 Conference this season behind only Miller's 17-game run that ended March 27.
Ryan Thompson and Clay Kelly each had three hits for Dallas Baptist, which tallied 16 hits on the night. Travis Meiners, Ryan Goins, Jason Krizan and Brandon Bantz all had two-hit nights.
Baylor returns to action this weekend, hosting Missouri for a three-game Big 12 series at Baylor Ballpark. The Bears and Tigers meet Friday at 6:30 p.m. CDT, Saturday at 6:30 p.m. and Sunday at 1:30 p.m.
NOTES: Baylor leads the all-time series 39-21, including a 28-15 advantage in Waco. DBU has won each of the last two meetings. The Bears are 10-7 against the Patriots during head coach Steve Smith's tenure. €¦ Miller's home run was his first since a game-tying grand slam March 8 against UAB, ending an 18-game, 58-at-bat drought. €¦ Miller (five games) and Dan Evatt (five games) both extended hitting streaks. €¦ Hansen, who entered the game with hits in each of his last six at bats, went 0-for-4.
