By Ben Everett | Sports Writer
Baylor baseball trounced Texas State 17-5 in seven innings Tuesday night to win their seventh straight game.
The Bears (23-17) exploded for an 11-run seventh inning to take down the Bobcats (21-19-1). The offensive outburst marked the most runs in an inning for Baylor since 2009.
Sophomore pitcher Ryan Leckich, making his third start of the season, surrendered three hits in the first three at-bats of the game for Texas State as the Bobcats took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning. A throwing error by Leckich later in the inning drove in another run to give Texas State a 3-0 lead.
Sophomore first baseman Andy Thomas and sophomore catcher Shea Langeliers each notched hits to put two on base in the top of the second, and freshman right fielder Davion Downey delivered a two-run single to cut the lead to 3-2.
After giving up another run in the bottom of the second inning, Leckich was replaced on the mound by freshman pitcher Jimmy Winston, who picked up the final out to end the inning with the Bobcats leading 4-2.
In the top of the fourth inning, the Bears mounted their comeback. Freshman shortstop Nick Loftin and junior designated hitter Richard Cunningham each hit doubles to cut the lead to 4-3. Sophomore third baseman Davis Wendzel singled to put two on base and Thomas delivered the tying RBI single. Finally, junior center fielder Cole Haring notched a two-run single to give the Bears a 6-4 lead.
The bottom of the fourth saw Texas State score one run on two doubles to make it a 6-5 game.
The Bears blew the game open in the top of the seventh inning. Downey picked up an RBI walk with the bases loaded and Haring hit his second two-run single of the day. Junior left fielder T.J. Raguse, Cunningham, Lotfin and Thomas all picked up hits to extend the lead to 15-5 before the Bobcats could even manage an out.
Baylor padded on two more runs in the seventh with Downey and Haring notching RBIs to make it a 17-5 game.
Haring finished with a career-high three hits and five RBIs. Winston picked up the first win of his Baylor career, going 3.1/3 innings and giving up just one run.
The Bears look to keep it rolling as they face Kansas State in a weekend road series starting at 6:30 p.m. Friday in Manhattan, Kan.
