Saturday, March 19
Waco, Texas
3 PM
Baylor
9-9, 0
9
vs
11
TCU
14-4, 0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
R
H
E
TCU
0
0
5
0
0
0
0
0
3
0
3
11
10
3
Baylor
2
0
2
2
0
0
0
2
0
0
1
9
17
2
BSB Outlasted By No. 21 TCU, 11-9, in Extras
3/19/2022 8:55:00 PM | Baseball
Richardson leads Bears to season-high 17 hits in the 11-inning loss
By Jerry Hill
Baylor Bear Insider
Through the first month of the baseball season, coach Steve Rodriguez has been waiting for the Baylor bats to come alive.
They definitely woke up Saturday against No. 21 TCU, to the tune of a season-high 17 hits and three home runs by Jared McKenzie, Kyle Nevin and Ian Groves. Now, if the Bears (9-9, 0-2) can just get the bullpen issues worked out.
Baylor pitchers issued a total of 13 free bases with 10 walks and three hit batters as the Horned Frogs scored three ninth-inning runs and then won it with three more in the 11th, clinching the series with an 11-9 victory before a season-high crowd of 3,066 at Baylor Ballpark.
"They just weren't executing pitches," Rodriguez said of the bullpen issuing four-straight walks in the ninth. "I'm not going to make any excuses about that. They didn't come out and do what they were supposed to do."
Relievers Mason Marriott and Brett Garcia each walked two batters to start the ninth, gifting the Horned Frogs (14-4, 2-0) the first run. Matt Voelker got the first out on a force at the plate, but then hit Luke Boyers to score another run and gave up a weakly hit infield single to pinch-hitter Mason Speaker that tied it up at 8-8.
Voelker (1-3) worked a perfect 1-2-3 10th inning before giving up another bases-loaded walk in the 11th, and then two more runs scored on a throwing error on a potential inning-ending double play.
A transfer from Tarleton State making his Baylor debut, Groves blasted a one-out solo home run in the bottom of the 11th. Harrison Caley and pinch-hitter Cade Currington followed with a walk and single, respectively, to put the tying runs on base and give the Bears new life.
But, TCU closer River Ridings struck out Jack Pineda looking and retired Tre Richardson on a deep fly ball to right to pick up his sixth save of the year.
"Even to that last at-bat, if Tre gets something elevated, everybody forgets about all the other stuff," Rodriguez said. "That's the stuff I love about this team is they're going to continue to fight and grind. Tomorrow's a new day. As soon as you shower, you've got to wash this one off and get ready for tomorrow."
Sophomore Will Rigney (0-0, 4.20 ERA) will get the start in Sunday's 1 p.m. series finale, with the Bears trying to pick up their first conference win and get back above .500 for the season.
"We've been here before," said Richardson, who went 4-for-7 to match his career-high for hits. "We understand what has to be done. Salvaging the series is always big, especially going toward the end of the season, going toward tournament ball. By that point, we're hot and we're rolling and people look at it and say, 'They didn't get swept by TCU. They won a game.' That's the way we look at it. Go game by game and win every chance we get."
McKenzie, who came into the game hitting just .207, had a three-hit day and opened the scoring with a two-run homer in the first off TCU starter Brett Walker.
The Frogs scored five two-out runs in the third with a rally that started with an eight-pitch walk by 9-hole hitter Owen Blackledge. David Bishop and Tommy Sacco delivered the big hits with a two-run single and two-run double that gave TCU a 5-2 lead.
Baylor answered with two runs in the bottom of the inning on an RBI single by Chase Wehsener and a sac fly by Esteban Cardoza-Oquendo to make it a one-run game. And the Bears had a two-out rally of their own in the fourth with three-straight singles by Pineda, Richardson and McKenzie to regain the lead at 6-5.
"That's the offense I've been expecting, watching guys take really good at-bats," Rodriguez said. "Regardless of hits or not, just hitting balls hard and swinging at pitches they knew they could hit and not swinging at everything that was thrown up there They did a really good job of being selective. And once they got some pitches to hit, they laid some pretty good swings on them."
The game settled into a pitching duel for the next three innings, as the bullpens put up three-straight zeroes on the board. Kobe Andrade had his best outing as a Bear, allowing no runs on one hit and two walks with three strikeouts in 4.0 innings.
Richardson reached on an error to lead off the eighth and scored on Nevin's team-high third homer of the season, a two-run blast to left center field that gave the Bears some insurance.
Just not enough.
"It's pretty good to know that our offense can do that and be consistent," Richardson said. "Everybody is just kind of rolling the way you want them to. Just pass the bat."
Sunday's series finale will be streamed by Big 12 Now on ESPN+, with Pete Sousa and former Baylor pitcher Pat Combs calling the action.
THE RUNDOWN
WACO, Texas – Baylor baseball (9-9, 0-2) battled No. 21 TCU (14-4, 2-0) to extra innings, but fell 11-9 to the Horned Frogs on Saturday afternoon at Baylor Ballpark.
The Bears recorded a season-high 17 hits and three home runs as a team, including four knocks from Tre Richardson, but were unable to put the game away late.
BU opened the scoring with Jared McKenzie's second home run of the season, a two-run shot, in the bottom of the first. Richardson made a couple of nifty plays on defense in the second, but TCU put up a five-spot in the top of the third to take a 5-2 lead.
Baylor responded with two runs in the bottom half thanks to a Chase Wehsener RBI single and an Esteban Cardoza-Oquendo sacrifice fly, then retook the lead in the fourth as three-straight two-out singles by Jack Pineda, Richardson and McKenzie, plus an error by the Horned Frogs' center fielder, resulted in two runs.
With a 6-5 lead, BU reliever Kobe Andrade settled in to toss four scoreless innings out of the bullpen. When TCU loaded the bases in the eighth inning, closer Mason Marriott was able to force a groundout and keep the Bears in front heading into the home half.
Needing an insurance run, Kyle Nevin delivered a two-run shot over the left-center field wall to go up 8-5 in the bottom of the eighth. However, four consecutive walks and a hit-by-pitch in the top of the ninth allowed TCU back in the ballgame, and a two-out infield single knotted the tally at 8-8 to force extras.
Both sides were retired in order in the 10th, but TCU scored three runs in the 11th to take an 11-8 lead.
In his Baylor debut, Ian Groves bashed a solo home run in the bottom of the 11th to cut into the deficit, but the Bears would strand two runners on base as TCU clinched the series.
NOTES
• Baylor recorded a season-high 17 hits in the ballgame.
• The Bears hit three home runs, their most in a single game this season.
• Saturday's attendance of 3,066 is the most at Baylor Ballpark since April 5, 2019 (3,302 vs. Texas).
• Tre Richardson tied a career-high and set a single-game season-high for the Bears with four hits.
• Richardson also extended his on-base streak to nine games and his hit streak to six.
• Ian Groves made his Baylor debut and hit his first home run as a Bear.
• Jared McKenzie posted his third multi-RBI game and fourth multi-hit game with three hits and three runs driven in.
• McKenzie hit his second home run of the year, and first that left the yard.
• Kyle Nevin blasted his team-leading third home run of the season and recorded his sixth multi-RBI performance, also a team best.
• Jack Pineda added to his team lead with his eighth multi-hit effort.
• Chase Wehsener collected his sixth multi-hit game of the year.
• Harrison Caley extended his on-base streak to seven games.
• Kobe Andrade tossed a career-most four innings, allowing just one hit and no runs, with a career-high three strikeouts.
STAT OF THE GAME
17 – Baylor collected a season-high 17 hits as a team.
TOP QUOTES
Head coach Steve Rodriguez
On the offensive breakout…
"I'll tell you what, offensively, it was great to actually see them kind of break out. That was the offense I've been expecting, watching guys take really good at-bats. Regardless of hits or not, just hitting balls hard and swinging at pitches they knew they could hit, not everything that was thrown up there. I thought they did a really good job of being really selective. And then, once they got some pitches to hit, they laid some pretty good swings on them. Tre [Richardson] and Jared [McKenzie] had like eight or nine hits combined. That's what you're looking for, you're looking for guys to take really good at-bats and just continuing to grind like that. They've been working really hard on every aspect of that, and it was just great to watch them be able to get it through today."
Sophomore INF Tre Richardson
On going into the series finale…
"We've been here before. We were here last year. We understand what has to be done. Salvaging the series is always big, especially going toward the end of the season and tournament ball. By that point, we're hot and we're rolling and people look at it and say 'They didn't get swept by TCU. They won a game.' That's the way we look at it. Go game by game and win every chance we get."
WHAT'S NEXT
Baylor (9-9, 0-2) looks to salvage the series against No. 21 TCU (14-4, 2-0) in the weekend finale Sunday, March 20, at 1 p.m. CT at Baylor Ballpark.
For the latest news on the Baylor baseball team all season long, follow its official Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts: @BaylorBaseball.
Baylor Bear Insider
Through the first month of the baseball season, coach Steve Rodriguez has been waiting for the Baylor bats to come alive.
They definitely woke up Saturday against No. 21 TCU, to the tune of a season-high 17 hits and three home runs by Jared McKenzie, Kyle Nevin and Ian Groves. Now, if the Bears (9-9, 0-2) can just get the bullpen issues worked out.
Baylor pitchers issued a total of 13 free bases with 10 walks and three hit batters as the Horned Frogs scored three ninth-inning runs and then won it with three more in the 11th, clinching the series with an 11-9 victory before a season-high crowd of 3,066 at Baylor Ballpark.
"They just weren't executing pitches," Rodriguez said of the bullpen issuing four-straight walks in the ninth. "I'm not going to make any excuses about that. They didn't come out and do what they were supposed to do."
Relievers Mason Marriott and Brett Garcia each walked two batters to start the ninth, gifting the Horned Frogs (14-4, 2-0) the first run. Matt Voelker got the first out on a force at the plate, but then hit Luke Boyers to score another run and gave up a weakly hit infield single to pinch-hitter Mason Speaker that tied it up at 8-8.
Voelker (1-3) worked a perfect 1-2-3 10th inning before giving up another bases-loaded walk in the 11th, and then two more runs scored on a throwing error on a potential inning-ending double play.
A transfer from Tarleton State making his Baylor debut, Groves blasted a one-out solo home run in the bottom of the 11th. Harrison Caley and pinch-hitter Cade Currington followed with a walk and single, respectively, to put the tying runs on base and give the Bears new life.
But, TCU closer River Ridings struck out Jack Pineda looking and retired Tre Richardson on a deep fly ball to right to pick up his sixth save of the year.
"Even to that last at-bat, if Tre gets something elevated, everybody forgets about all the other stuff," Rodriguez said. "That's the stuff I love about this team is they're going to continue to fight and grind. Tomorrow's a new day. As soon as you shower, you've got to wash this one off and get ready for tomorrow."
Sophomore Will Rigney (0-0, 4.20 ERA) will get the start in Sunday's 1 p.m. series finale, with the Bears trying to pick up their first conference win and get back above .500 for the season.
"We've been here before," said Richardson, who went 4-for-7 to match his career-high for hits. "We understand what has to be done. Salvaging the series is always big, especially going toward the end of the season, going toward tournament ball. By that point, we're hot and we're rolling and people look at it and say, 'They didn't get swept by TCU. They won a game.' That's the way we look at it. Go game by game and win every chance we get."
McKenzie, who came into the game hitting just .207, had a three-hit day and opened the scoring with a two-run homer in the first off TCU starter Brett Walker.
The Frogs scored five two-out runs in the third with a rally that started with an eight-pitch walk by 9-hole hitter Owen Blackledge. David Bishop and Tommy Sacco delivered the big hits with a two-run single and two-run double that gave TCU a 5-2 lead.
Baylor answered with two runs in the bottom of the inning on an RBI single by Chase Wehsener and a sac fly by Esteban Cardoza-Oquendo to make it a one-run game. And the Bears had a two-out rally of their own in the fourth with three-straight singles by Pineda, Richardson and McKenzie to regain the lead at 6-5.
"That's the offense I've been expecting, watching guys take really good at-bats," Rodriguez said. "Regardless of hits or not, just hitting balls hard and swinging at pitches they knew they could hit and not swinging at everything that was thrown up there They did a really good job of being selective. And once they got some pitches to hit, they laid some pretty good swings on them."
The game settled into a pitching duel for the next three innings, as the bullpens put up three-straight zeroes on the board. Kobe Andrade had his best outing as a Bear, allowing no runs on one hit and two walks with three strikeouts in 4.0 innings.
Richardson reached on an error to lead off the eighth and scored on Nevin's team-high third homer of the season, a two-run blast to left center field that gave the Bears some insurance.
Just not enough.
"It's pretty good to know that our offense can do that and be consistent," Richardson said. "Everybody is just kind of rolling the way you want them to. Just pass the bat."
Sunday's series finale will be streamed by Big 12 Now on ESPN+, with Pete Sousa and former Baylor pitcher Pat Combs calling the action.
THE RUNDOWN
WACO, Texas – Baylor baseball (9-9, 0-2) battled No. 21 TCU (14-4, 2-0) to extra innings, but fell 11-9 to the Horned Frogs on Saturday afternoon at Baylor Ballpark.
The Bears recorded a season-high 17 hits and three home runs as a team, including four knocks from Tre Richardson, but were unable to put the game away late.
BU opened the scoring with Jared McKenzie's second home run of the season, a two-run shot, in the bottom of the first. Richardson made a couple of nifty plays on defense in the second, but TCU put up a five-spot in the top of the third to take a 5-2 lead.
Baylor responded with two runs in the bottom half thanks to a Chase Wehsener RBI single and an Esteban Cardoza-Oquendo sacrifice fly, then retook the lead in the fourth as three-straight two-out singles by Jack Pineda, Richardson and McKenzie, plus an error by the Horned Frogs' center fielder, resulted in two runs.
With a 6-5 lead, BU reliever Kobe Andrade settled in to toss four scoreless innings out of the bullpen. When TCU loaded the bases in the eighth inning, closer Mason Marriott was able to force a groundout and keep the Bears in front heading into the home half.
Needing an insurance run, Kyle Nevin delivered a two-run shot over the left-center field wall to go up 8-5 in the bottom of the eighth. However, four consecutive walks and a hit-by-pitch in the top of the ninth allowed TCU back in the ballgame, and a two-out infield single knotted the tally at 8-8 to force extras.
Both sides were retired in order in the 10th, but TCU scored three runs in the 11th to take an 11-8 lead.
In his Baylor debut, Ian Groves bashed a solo home run in the bottom of the 11th to cut into the deficit, but the Bears would strand two runners on base as TCU clinched the series.
NOTES
• Baylor recorded a season-high 17 hits in the ballgame.
• The Bears hit three home runs, their most in a single game this season.
• Saturday's attendance of 3,066 is the most at Baylor Ballpark since April 5, 2019 (3,302 vs. Texas).
• Tre Richardson tied a career-high and set a single-game season-high for the Bears with four hits.
• Richardson also extended his on-base streak to nine games and his hit streak to six.
• Ian Groves made his Baylor debut and hit his first home run as a Bear.
• Jared McKenzie posted his third multi-RBI game and fourth multi-hit game with three hits and three runs driven in.
• McKenzie hit his second home run of the year, and first that left the yard.
• Kyle Nevin blasted his team-leading third home run of the season and recorded his sixth multi-RBI performance, also a team best.
• Jack Pineda added to his team lead with his eighth multi-hit effort.
• Chase Wehsener collected his sixth multi-hit game of the year.
• Harrison Caley extended his on-base streak to seven games.
• Kobe Andrade tossed a career-most four innings, allowing just one hit and no runs, with a career-high three strikeouts.
STAT OF THE GAME
17 – Baylor collected a season-high 17 hits as a team.
TOP QUOTES
Head coach Steve Rodriguez
On the offensive breakout…
"I'll tell you what, offensively, it was great to actually see them kind of break out. That was the offense I've been expecting, watching guys take really good at-bats. Regardless of hits or not, just hitting balls hard and swinging at pitches they knew they could hit, not everything that was thrown up there. I thought they did a really good job of being really selective. And then, once they got some pitches to hit, they laid some pretty good swings on them. Tre [Richardson] and Jared [McKenzie] had like eight or nine hits combined. That's what you're looking for, you're looking for guys to take really good at-bats and just continuing to grind like that. They've been working really hard on every aspect of that, and it was just great to watch them be able to get it through today."
Sophomore INF Tre Richardson
On going into the series finale…
"We've been here before. We were here last year. We understand what has to be done. Salvaging the series is always big, especially going toward the end of the season and tournament ball. By that point, we're hot and we're rolling and people look at it and say 'They didn't get swept by TCU. They won a game.' That's the way we look at it. Go game by game and win every chance we get."
WHAT'S NEXT
Baylor (9-9, 0-2) looks to salvage the series against No. 21 TCU (14-4, 2-0) in the weekend finale Sunday, March 20, at 1 p.m. CT at Baylor Ballpark.
For the latest news on the Baylor baseball team all season long, follow its official Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts: @BaylorBaseball.
-BaylorBears.com-
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Savage, Luke (1-0)
L: Voelker, Matt (1-3)
S: Ridings, River (6)
Batting:
2B: Sacco, Tommy 1 ; Blackledge, Owen 1
RBI: Nunez, Elijah 1 ; Bishop, David 2 ; Rodgers, Gray 1 ; Sacco, Tommy 3 ; Boyers, Luke 1 ; Speaker, Mason 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Nunez, Elijah 1 ; Taylor, Brayden 2 ; Bishop, David 1 ; Rodgers, Gray 2 ; Sacco, Tommy 1 ; Goodloe, Bobby 1 ; Boyers, Luke 1 ; Maxwell, Logan 1 ; Blackledge, Owen 1
HBP: Taylor, Brayden 1 ; Boyers, Luke 1 ; Maxwell, Logan 1
Batting:
HR: McKenzie, Jared 1 ; Nevin, Kyle 1 ; Groves, Ian 1
RBI: McKenzie, Jared 3 ; Nevin, Kyle 2 ; Wehsener, Chase 1 ; Cardoza-Oquendo, Esteban 1 ; Groves, Ian 1
SH: Cardoza-Oquendo, Esteban 1
SF: Cardoza-Oquendo, Esteban 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Pineda, Jack 1 ; Richardson, Tre 4 ; McKenzie, Jared 2 ; Nevin, Kyle 1 ; Groves, Ian 1
Game Leaders
AB
7
R
4
H
4
RBI
0
AB
6
R
2
H
3
RBI
3
AB
7
R
1
H
2
RBI
0
AB
6
R
0
H
2
RBI
1
Players Mentioned
LHP/OF
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C
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INF
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C
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RHP
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C
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RHP
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INF/OF
/ BaseballINF
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RHP
/ Baseball
LHP
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