By Nathan Keil | Sports Writer
Baylor baseball improved to 5-0 on the season with a 4-0 victory on the road against Texas State Wednesday night.
Junior pitcher Alex Phillips pitched two innings, allowing two hits, walking one while striking out three to earn the victory for the Bears. Phillips was pitching for the first time in more than a year after he sat out the 2016 campaign after undergoing Tommy John surgery.
Three other Bears combined to complete the shutout, scattering seven hits in the final seven innings.
Baylor head coach Steve Rodriguez said that the bullpen was crucial in helping the Bears get the win on the road.
“The bullpen did a great job today,” Rodriguez said. “Kyle Hill, Joe Heineman and Kyle Ott – the bridge guys sometimes get forgotten, but it was really good to see our guys go out there and compete.”
The Bears got on the board in the top half of the second inning. Junior outfielder Kameron Esthay led off the inning with a double, and senior first baseman Aaron Dotson moved him to third on his single. Junior shortstop Tucker Cascadden then brought Esthay home with a sacrifice fly to right center field.
The Bears were back at it offensively in the third inning. Junior third baseman Steven McLean singled to open the frame, and freshman catcher Shea Langeliers’ single put runners on the corners with nobody out. McLean came around to score and Langeliers moved into scoring position after a wild pitch. Senior designated hitter Matt Menard then singled to center field, bringing in Langeliers for the Bears’ third run of the game.
Baylor then added a final insurance run in the top of the seventh when Langeliers hit his second home run of the season to left field.
Langeliers continued his offensive outburst to begin the season by going four for five at the plate and bumping his average up to .560. McLean, Esthay and sophomore outfielder T. J. Raguse each had two hits for the Bears.
The Bears will return home for a weekend series against South Alabama beginning at 6:35 p.m. Friday.
