May 23, 2010

BAYLOR 4, OKLAHOMA STATE 1 Box Score | Quotes | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 7 1 0 2 0 0 1 0 0 1 X 4 11 0 Pitching IP H R ER BB SO W - Fritsch (1-3) 6.2 5 1 1 2 10 L - Heaney (5-4) 5.1 9 3 3 1 3 S - Pinckard (10) 0.1 0 0 0 0 0 Batting Leaders AB H RBI R BB HR BU - Towey 3 2 2 1 1 1 BU - Miller 4 2 1 1 0 1 BU - Campbell 3 2 0 1 1 0 Notes: Baylor swept its first Big 12 Conference series since it completed a sweep of Kansas on April 6, 2008 ... Craig Fritsch's 6.2 innings was the longest start of his career ... Fritsch also tied a career high with 10 strikeouts ... Brooks Pinckard recorded his 10th save of the season, tying him with Jason Jennings for the sixth-highest single-season total in Baylor history ... Freshman Logan Vick finished Big 12 play with a .480 on-base percentage, giving him the fifth-best single-season total in program history; he also drew 24 walks in league play, which tied for the second-most on Baylor's career list ... Vick finished tied for the league lead with 24 walks in conference play ... Baylor finished the season 22-4 in its last 26 games at Baylor Ballpark ... Pinckard's hitting streak was snapped at seven games and Josh Ludy's streak ended at four ... Max Muncy (five games) and Vick (four games) both extended hitting streaks ... Gregg Glime extended his hitting streak in Big 12 games to six straight ... Pinckard stole his 17th base of the season, giving him the most steals by a Baylor player since Chase Gerdes stole 17 in 2007 ... Pinckard's seven steals in Big 12 play moved him into a five-way tie for the ninth most in a single season in program history ... Vick reached base safely (via hit or walk) in all 36 games at Baylor Ballpark this season ... Raynor Campbell recorded his 120th and 121st career hits in Big 12 play, moving him past Jon Topolski for fourth most in program history ... Campbell also scored his 68th run in Big 12 play, tying him with Mike Huggins for seventh-most in Baylor history ... Pinckard recorded his seventh sacrifice in Big 12 play, moving him into sole possession of third place on Baylor's single-season list ... Baylor is now 29-35 in the all-time series with Oklahoma State, including a 15-12 mark in games played in Waco and a 24-22 record during the Steve Smith era. BAYLOR BASEBALL CENTRAL • Baylor Athletics Experience • Baseball Media Almana

WACO, Texas - Craig Fritsch turned in the longest start of his career and posted a career-high-tying 10 strikeouts to lead Baylor to a 4-1 win over Oklahoma State on Sunday afternoon at Baylor Ballpark. With the win, Baylor completed its first Big 12 series sweep since April 6, 2008.

The Bears (31-21, 12-13 Big 12) also clinched the sixth seed in next week's Big 12 Conference Baseball Championship with their win. Oklahoma State (29-26, 8-19 Big 12) saw its season come to an end with the loss.

Fritsch started off the game by striking out the side in the first inning, and he struck out at least one batter in every inning until he turned the ball over to Joey Hainsfurther with two outs in the seventh. With the potential tying run at the plate, Hainsfurther got Kevin David to fly out to end the inning.

"Oklahoma State had a couple of opportunities to put some runs on the board, which would have been big, but (Fritsch) was able to strand some runners," head coach Steve Smith said. "He was able to compete really well. It was probably the best that I've seen him throw in a starting role. I thought he was really good."

Baylor took an early 2-0 lead when Cal Towey connected on his third homer of the season to drive in Raynor Campbell in the second inning. Fritsch and Oklahoma State starter Andrew Heaney matched each other with zeroes in the third and fourth innings.

Fritsch got some help from his defense in the fourth after OSU started the inning with back-to-back singles. Max Muncy fielded David's bunt and fired to third to get the lead runner, and Fritsch followed with a strikeout before Muncy fielded a sharp grounder for the third out of the inning.

OSU got on the board in the fifth when Fritsch issued a leadoff walk and Tom Belza knocked a RBI triple off the wall in right field. With the potential tying run at third and no outs in the inning, Fritsch fielded a bunt and held the runner at third before firing to first to get an out, and then he got consecutive strikeouts to escape the inning with the Bears leading 2-1.

Jake Miller wasted no time extending the Bears' lead back to two runs with a leadoff homer in the bottom half of the inning, but Baylor missed an opportunity to break the game open by stranding two runners in scoring position.

Fritsch retired the side in order in the sixth and then got the first two outs in the seventh before David's two-out double ended a string of eight straight retired and chased him from the game.

Fritsch (1-3) went 6.2 innings, which was one out short of the longest outing of his career, and allowed one run on five hits with two walks and 10 strikeouts to get his first win of the season.

Heaney (5-4) suffered the loss after surrendering three runs on nine hits in 5.1 innings.

Hainsfurther retired the side in order in the eighth, and the Bears got an insurance run in the bottom half when Gregg Glime and Raynor Campbell singled and Glime scored on a wild pitch to extend Baylor's lead to 4-1.

OSU brought the potential tying run to the plate with two outs in the ninth after a pair of singles, but Brooks Pinckard moved from center field to the mound to get the last lost and notch his 10th save of the season.

Towey, Logan Vick, Campbell and Miller had two hits apiece for the Bears, while Belza had two of the Cowboys' seven hits and their only RBI.

Baylor returns to action at the Big 12 Championship on Wednesday at Bricktown Ballpark in Oklahoma City. The sixth-seeded Bears will take on Kansas State on Wednesday, Oklahoma on Friday and Kansas on Saturday. Game times will be released shortly.