WACO, TX — The Bears completed the sweep of West Virginia with an eight-inning 10-4 come-from-behind victory over the Mountaineers on Sunday afternoon at Baylor Ballpark.
The Bears (16-6, 3-0 Big 12) trailed for the first six innings before coming through with a big seventh inning, plating six runs on four hits to take the lead and never looked back, adding three more on a three-run home run by Andy Thomas in the bottom of the eighth before the game was called due to travel curfew.
The Mountaineers (13-10, 0-3 Big 12) jumped on the Bears early, touching up starter Ryan Leckich for three runs on two hits before reliever Blake Helton entered to end the inning.
The Bears got one run back in the bottom of the second as Josh Bissonette singled home Davion Downey with two outs, making it a 3-1 Mountaineer lead.
In the sixth, the Mountaineers added one on a solo home run by Paul McIntosh off Baylor reliever Jacob Ashkinos, putting the Bears down, 4-1.
The Bears were able to break things open in the seventh inning, bringing 12 men to the plate and scoring all six runs with two outs. With two on and two out, Nick Loftin singled home the first run of the inning, bringing the Bears within two, 4-2. Richard Cunningham then followed with an RBI single of his own to pull within one, 4-3. Davis Wendzel was intentionally walked to load the bases and the Mountaineers went to the pen for reliever Beau Lowery, chasing starter Kade Strowd. Lowery walked in the game-tying run as Thomas drew the walk. Shea Langeliers then broke things open with a two-RBI double, giving the Bears their first lead of the day, 6-4. The Mountaineers went back to the pen one more time for reliever Tristen Hudson and a wild pitch plated the sixth run of the day for the Bears, giving them a 7-4 lead.
Closer Kyle Hill entered and pitched a 1-2-3 top of the eighth inning, solidifying his fourth save of the year.
The Bears got the bottom of the eighth started right inside West Virginia’s travel curfew and Thomas launched his first home run of the year, a three-run shot to make the final score, 10-4 Bears.
Baylor reliever Luke Boyd earned the win, his second of the season, while Mountaineer starter Strowd took the loss to fall to 2-2 on the year.
