Baylor baseball posted a 6-3 win in the series rubber match against Houston Baptist on Sunday afternoon at Baylor Ballpark. The Bears (2-1) used a three-run third inning to take the season-opening series over the Huskies (1-2).
Shea Langeliers put BU on the board in the first inning with a laser home run off the left field foul pole, scoring Richard Cunningham after a leadoff double.
HBU answered in the third with three unearned runs on a walk, error, single and double. But the Bears countered in the bottom half to regain the lead. Davis Wendzel led off with a walk and Andy Thomas singled. After a Cole Haring sacrifice bunt moved the runners up, T.J. Raguse delivered a go-ahead, two-run single up the middle. Raguse advanced to second on the throw home and scored on a two-out single by Davion Downey for a 5-3 lead.
BU added to the lead with a solo homer by Wendzel in the fourth. Then the bullpen took over after starter Hayden Kettler was replaced in the sixth inning. Jacob Ashkinos tossed three scoreless, hitless innings to get to Troy Montemayor, who closed the door in the ninth.
Kettler (1-0) earned the win, allowing three unearned runs on three hits and three walks with five strikeouts in five innings. Montemayor notched his second save of the season with a scoreless ninth. HBU starter Daniel Endsley (0-1) took the loss, giving up six runs on eight hits and three walks with two strikeouts in 3.1 innings.
