The Baylor baseball team split their double header with one loss and one win to Lamar University and the University of California-Irvine respectively.
The Bears dropped the first game of their double header today against Lamar University 8-0. Lamar was able to score in all but three innings, and the Bears were unable to get anything going offensively. Baylor fell to 8-3 on the season after the loss.
The second game was against the UC-Irvine. Senior right-handed pitcher Trent Blank got the start for Baylor. The Bears beat the UC-Irvine Anteaters on Friday by a score of 4-2. Baylor won this game by a score of 6-1.
“[Blank’s pitching] is unbelievable. That’s about it. I mean, hopefully he keeps it up all year because he is a big tool for us right now,” senior Joey Hainsfurther said.
Baylor shrugged off the shutout quickly, though. In the bottom of the first, junior center fielder Logan Vick singled to right field. This scored junior left fielder Nathan Orf from third and marked the first run of the day for the Bears.
In the top of the third inning, the Anteaters tied the game at 1 with a sacrifice fly to right-center field that scored catcher Ronnie Schaeffer.
Blank left the game in the top of the eighth after throwing 7 innings and allowing just one earned run on four hits.
“I got in the groove and started throwing strikes and letting the defense work. That’s what happens,” Blank said.
He was replaced by junior right-handed pitcher Kolt Browder.
Browder was replaced by junior left-handed pitcher Crayton Bare after throwing 2/3 of an inning and allowing no hits.
“[The relief pitchers] were very effective. Kolt came in and threw strikes, got his outs. Got it done very quickly,” head coach Steve Smith said.
With the score still 1-1, junior first baseman Max Muncy and senior catcher Josh Ludy drew back to back walks. After junior center fielder Logan Vick laid down a bunt single, the bases were loaded with nobody out in the bottom of the eighth inning. Pinch hitter Joey Hainsfurther came to the plate and drew an RBI walk, giving the Bears a 2-1 lead.
Freshman right fielder Michael Howard singled to left center to extend the lead to 3-1. Sophomore second baseman Lawton Langford singled up the middle and drove in two more runs. He advanced to second on the throw. Junior left fielder Nathan Orf hit a nearly identical RBI single the next at bat.
“I like a lot of things about how we’re playing right now. As much as anything though, I like the fact that we’re playing hard. We’re running the bases hard,” Smith said. “Guys are hooked up at the plate. They’re not giving up a lot of at bats, making a routine plays and making a lot of plays look routine that aren’t.”
The five-run eighth inning was too much for the Anteaters to overcome. The Bears will next play Sunday at 3:00 p.m. against Lamar University.
