Feb. 18, 2017
Final Stats
THE RUNDOWN
WACO, Texas -- Baylor baseball took down Niagara 21-6 in the second game of a doubleheader to sweep its season-opening series on Saturday evening at Baylor Ballpark. The Bears (3-0) used 15 hits and five multi-run innings to overmatch the Purple Eagles (0-3).
With BU starting pitcher Cody Bradford in control, the Bears jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the first inning. Matt Menard had an RBI single, Davis Wendzel supplied a two-run single and Josh Bissonette and T.J. Raguse each had RBI walks.
Shea Langeliers continued the offensive attack with a two-run home run in the fourth. Kameron Esthay then led off the fifth inning with a solo blast before Wendzel and Raguse added RBI singles in the frame.
After Niagara got a run in the sixth, the Bears received a run via error in the bottom half, and poured on four more runs in the seventh as Cameron Miller and Steven McLean posted RBI singles while another run scored on an error.
Niagara scored three runs in the eighth, but Baylor countered with six in the bottom half. The Purple Eagles tallied two more runs in the ninth before reliever Hayden Kettler finished the game.
Bradford (1-0) earned the win, giving up one run on just three hits and a walk with two strikeouts in seven innings. Niagara starter Tyler Howard (0-1) took the loss, allowing five runs on three hits and two walks in 0.2 innings.
NOTES
*Baylor and Niagara met for the first time ever in this series, and BU holds a 3-0 all-time series lead.
*Baylor is 3-0 at Baylor Ballpark this season and 404-182 all-time.
*Baylor scored 20 or more runs for the first time since scoring 20 vs. Stony Brook on Feb. 27, 2016.
*Freshman LHP Cody Bradford started in his Baylor debut and earned his first win.
*Shea Langeliers hit his first career home run.
*Langeliers posted his second straight multi-hit game with a career-high three hits and first two-RBI effort. He also scored a career-best three runs -- he's had a hit in each of his first three career games.
*Kameron Esthay hit his first home run of the season and ninth of his career and has reached base safely in all three games.
*JUCO junior IF/OF Tucker Johnson (1-for-2, two RBI), sophomore transfer IF Cole Weaver (1-for-1, two RBI) and freshmen OF Hunter Seay (1-for-1), C Andy Thomas, RHP Luke Boyd and RHP Hayden Kettler all made their Baylor debuts.
*Richard Cunningham has a career-high seven-game hitting streak dating back to last season.
*Steven McLean has a 13-game on-base streak dating back to last season.
*Josh Bissonette has a 12-game on-base dating back to last season but his career-high seven-game hitting streak ended. He drew a career-high-tying three walks.
*Aaron Dodson has a five-game on-base streak dating back to last season.
*T.J. Raguse had two RBI for his first multi-RBI game of the season.
*Tucker Cascadden had a career-high two RBI.
*Davis Wendzel had his first career hit (2), RBI (3) and run scored (2).
*Matt Menard has a hit in each of the first three games of the season.
STAT OF THE GAME
36 -- The amount of runs (21) and hits (15) the Bears had.
QUOTE OF THE GAME
"It was a long day of baseball. It's never easy to sweep a doubleheader. It's really hard to play nine innings in three and a half hours, then take an hour off and refocus and play another nine innings. I was really proud of what our guys did." -- Head coach Steve Rodriguez
WHAT'S NEXT
Baylor finishes its season-opening home stand with a 6:35 p.m. CT game vs. Nevada on Monday.
-BU-
