By Foster Nicholas | Sports Writer
No. 17 West Virginia University took a trip down to Waco, and a behind high-powered offense and lights-out pitching, the Mountaineers swept Baylor baseball after taking the finale, 18-4, on Sunday at Baylor Ballpark.
Over the course of the three-game series, the Bears (15-29, 6-15 Big 12) allowed 35 free bases (25 walks and 10 hit by pitches) and were outscored 33-8.
Head coach Mitch Thompson gave junior left-handed pitcher Cam Caley the start in the series finale. Baylor fell behind right out of the gate. Caley allowed three runs in the top of the first.
The Bears plated two runs in the bottom of the second inning after loading the bases with no outs. Redshirt freshman outfielder Gavin Brzozowski, who started in the designated hitter role Sunday, was walked. Junior outfielder Cole Tremain then singled, and sophomore first baseman John Ceccoli walked. A pair of fielder’s choice ground balls allowed the runs to score. Entering the third inning, Baylor only trailed 3-2.
The Mountaineers (33-11, 11-4 Big 12) added two more runs in the top of the third on a two-run home run. Caley bounced back and delivered a scoreless fourth inning to hold the West Virginia lead at 5-2.
The last two runs of the game for Baylor came in the bottom of the fourth inning. Ceccoli scored on a sacrifice fly from junior outfielder Daniel Altman. Sophomore infielder Hunter Teplanszky came through later in the inning with a two-out RBI single into left field.
Trailing 5-4 in the fifth inning, things started to fall apart for the Bears.
Caley record a quick out to start the inning but then allowed back-to-back solo home runs on two-consecutive pitches. He was removed after throwing slightly more than four innings, allowing seven runs on six hits, two walks and two strikeouts. Caley (0-5) was tagged with the loss after the bats quietly went down the rest of the game.
Junior right-handed pitcher Anderson Needham relieved Caley and threw almost a full two innings and gave up two hits, two walks and a run while striking out four batters.
Needham allowed two hits in the top of the seventh inning when he was replaced by junior right-handed pitcher Hambleton Oliver. Oliver gave up an RBI single to the first batter he faced, but the run was given to Needham. And despite loading the bases, Oliver worked out of the jam, and only one run was allowed in the seventh.
The green and gold trailed 8-4 entering the eighth inning. Oliver came back out for another inning of work but was taken out after WVU started to rally. He allowed two runs in the top of the eighth and with two outs, sophomore right-handed pitcher Gabe Craig took over.
Oliver delivered almost two innings pitched, giving up four hits and a walk in addition to the two runs. Looking for only one out, Craig hit the first batter he faced and then walked the batter right after. Both runners came in to score and Craig was taken out of the game after failing to record an out.
Thompson turned to junior right-handed pitcher Adam Muirhead who was able to get out of the inning. Muirhead allowed four hits and an unearned run in the bottom of the eighth before getting one out.
After a five-run top of the eighth inning, West Virginia clocked another crooked number on the scoreboard in the top of the ninth. Freshman right-handed pitcher Danny Valadez threw 1.0 inning and gave up five more runs while walking three batters and giving up three hits, including a grand slam.
Despite a lackluster offensive day, Tremain went 3-for-5 at the plate with a run scored, and sophomore catcher Cortlan Castle went 2-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI. In the bottom of the ninth, the bats came up empty once again and the Bears fell 18-4.
“We have to figure out how to get this thing turned back around,” Thompson said. “It’s on every one of us as coaches and as a team to step back up and do what’s necessary. There’s been plenty of times where we played really hard and played really well. This weekend was not our best.”
The Bears will be back in action against Abilene Christian University Tuesday. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. at Crutcher Scott Field in Abilene.
