By Foster Nicholas | Sports Editor
When redshirt sophomore second baseman Travis Sanders dug into the batter’s box to lead off the ninth inning, he wasn’t going to be beaten. In a 1-2 count, Sanders drilled the first Baylor baseball walk-off home run since May 19, 2022, pulling the Bears past Houston Christian University, 3-2, Tuesday night at Baylor Ballpark.
“I faced that guy in the seventh and hit a single through the six hole,” Sanders said. “I saw his stuff. — saw his fastball, slider, curveball, and I knew he wasn’t going to beat me in that at-bat … I got into my two-strike approach, and just let it get deep and put a good swing on it. And the baseball gods came through.”
Despite three errors and nine strikeouts, the Bears (20-8, 4-5 Big 12) rode five strong pitching outings before the walkoff knock to outduel the Huskies (17-10, 10-2 SLC). It marked the third walk-off win under head coach Mitch Thompson.
“It was a nail-biter,” Thompson said. “We didn’t play exceptionally well. We didn’t swing the bat exceptionally well. We didn’t play exceptionally well on defense. I’ll be honest with you, I was worried about it. I was worried about us … [But] we pitched the ball really well and that’s how we ended up winning it.”
Redshirt senior left-handed pitcher Bryson Bales started his seventh game of the season, picking up two strikeouts in three scoreless innings. He allowed two hits and a walk, all of which came in the third inning to load the bases with two outs before a groundout ended the frame.
The Bears broke the tie in the bottom of the fourth inning as senior shortstop Tyriq Kemp and redshirt senior designated hitter Hunter Simmons clubbed singles with no outs. A sacrifice fly set up redshirt sophomore first baseman Jack Little, who dropped down a bunt with the infield playing deep to plate Kemp.
Kemp led the Bears, going 3-for-4 at the plate with a run scored. Sanders (2-for-4) and Simmons (1-for-3, HBP) were the only other Bears who reached base twice.
Redshirt senior right-handed pitchers Andrew Petrowski and Patrick Hail combined for the next four scoreless innings, allowing one hit and one walk in two innings each. After arriving in Waco at 4:30 a.m. Monday following the series win against Arizona, Thompson said the outings were crucial to pulling out a victory.
“Four innings out of Petrowski and Hail was big,” Thompson said. “So if we had to go to extra innings, we had enough [pitchers] to go five or six more [innings], if that’s what we had to do. I like our pitching depth, and I think it’s showing up.”
Senior right-handers Caleb Bunch and Will Glatch handled the eighth, with Bunch retiring the first two batters before allowing a single. Without closer Gabe Craig in the bullpen, who was out due to illness, Thompson called on Glatch, who gave up two hits and an error later pulled across an unearned run to tie the game 1-1.
“We did enough, and we pitched,” Thompson said. “That was the beauty of it. I thought Bryson Bales was great. I thought Petrowski and Hail gave us really good innings — four of them, by the way. And I don’t think Bunch or Glatch were bad.”
But Baylor had its answer. Redshirt senior right fielder Enzo Apodaca led off the inning with a single and made his way to third with one out after a pair of wild pitches. The Huskies opted to walk freshman center fielder Pearson Riebock, bringing Little up to the dish with two outs.
The second base man slapped a 1-1 pitch through the right side to give the Bears the go-ahead run heading into the ninth. HCU opened the final inning with a single before Glatch struck out the next two. Locking in a full count, Glatch baited an average depth fly ball to left field — but redshirt sophomore Gavin Brzozowski lost it.
“I just told Gavin after the game, on this team, there’s always somebody’s gonna have you back,” Hail said. “And that’s a huge part of the trust within us that we know we can win games like that.”
Brzozowski ran in before his legs buckled, trying to retrace his steps. It was too late; the ball skipped on the grass beside him, and a run came home on a play that was scored a double, although it could have been the fourth error of the day.
The green and gold once again instantly responded when Sanders clubbed the first walk-off home run under Thompson’s tenure (his only other walk-offs being singles). Before being mobbed at home, while running around third, Sanders pointed at Glatch (3-0), who was right beside him, running from the bullpen to celebrate the 3-2 midweek win.
“Our offense has done a great job,” Hail said. “[If we] give up a run here, they’re going to come back, and we’re going to get two the next half… We could easily lie down, but we always punch back.”
The Bears will be back in action, hosting a three-game series against Houston (15-12, 3-6 Big 12), opening at 6:30 p.m. Friday at Baylor Ballpark.
