By Carson Vercoe | Sports Intern
Baylor’s bats were hot Tuesday at Baylor Ballpark, beating Incarnate Word 16-7 in a high-scoring game. The Bears are back in the win column after a split series loss to Oklahoma State this weekend in Stillwater.
The Bears (13-11, 2-4 Big 12) stole their way to two runs in the first inning, stealing three bases in one inning. Freshman right fielder Brady Janusek got an RBI single, then proceeded to steal second and third base before being driven in by a sacrifice fly from redshirt freshman designated hitter Hunter Snow.
“It’s always good to play with the lead,” head coach Mitch Thompson said. “You know you play the game one pitch at a time, but it makes everyone feel better when you score early.”
Incarnate Word (13-12, 5-7 SLC) tied things up at 2-2 in the top of the third, when Cardinals catcher Colin Cymbalista launched a two-run homer over the left-center field wall.
The 2-2 tie would not last long, however, as redshirt senior Tyce Armstrong stepped into the batter’s box and delivered a solo home run over the left-field wall.
“I was out in front that first at-bat, so I was trying to stay within myself,” Armstrong said. “I got a pitch to hit and I hit it.”
Then, in the bottom of the fifth, the Bears’ bats got hot.
Redshirt sophomore catcher Brayden Buchanan got the inning started with a hit by pitch, then scored off a Janusek single. Armstrong ripped a double of the left-center wall, scoring Janusek and giving him his second extra-base hit of the night.
The Bears continued to put pressure on the Cardinals, scoring three more runs on two hits before the Cardinals were forced to make a pitching change.
“We played well and were aggressive on the basepaths,” Thompson said. “For the most part, [we] played clean defense and offense.”
The Cardinals were not going to go down easily though, putting up one run in the sixth inning off an RBI single from second baseman Drake Anderson.
The Cardinals picked up right where they left off in the seventh, when pinch hitter Thomas Lyssy shot a double down the left field line to start the inning. An error by Armstrong scored Lyssy. A sacrifice fly from designated hitter Cris Enriquez scored another, and left fielder Jake Weaver scored from second base on a wild pitch to give the Cardinals three runs in the frame.
The Cardinals’ late-inning rally was put to bed quickly by the Bears’ seven-run seventh inning, which saw the Bears put up six timely hits to make the score 16-6.
Redshirt senior Jake Kolkhorst came into the game in the top of the ninth and shut down any chance of a Cardinals comeback.
“We got to keep working offensively,” Thompson said. “We got to keep working on using our tools and using our skills, and that’s what you saw tonight.”
Baylor will take on Houston (12-11, 1-5 Big 12) at 6:30 p.m. Friday at Schroeder Park in Houston. The game will be streamed on ESPN+.
