Baylor baseball notched a 12-2 win over No. 8 Texas Tech to secure the teams’ Big 12 opening series on Saturday afternoon at Baylor Ballpark. The Bears (10-6, 2-0) used 11 hits to score a season-high 12 runs to overwhelm the Red Raiders (16-5, 0-2).
Trailing 1-0 after the third inning, Baylor tied the game in the fifth. Davion Downey singled with one out, and after a wild pitch, scored on a two-out double by Davis Wendzel.
The game changed in the sixth as TTU had the bases loaded with two outs but reliever Kyle Hill induced a foul out to end the threat. BU then scored four runs in the sixth and seven in the seventh to take a commanding lead.
In the sixth, Josh Bissonette singled with one out, Tucker Cascadden reached on an error and a balk moved both runners into scoring position for Cole Haring, who hit into a fielder’s choice but the throw home was off line. With two outs, Shea Langeliers walked to load the bases, and the Bears followed with an RBI HBP by Wendzel and two-run single by Andy Thomas.
Baylor started the seventh with a Richard Cunningham HBP and Bissonette single. Then a fielder’s choice throw to third was late on Cascadden’s sacrifice bunt to load the bases. With one out, Downey was hit by a pitch to force in a run. After a 1:57 lightning/rain delay, Langeliers opened the flood gates with a two-run single. Wendzel walked to re-load the bases for Thomas, who singled in a run. Nick Loftin drove in a run on a grounder to third. Cunningham and Bissonette followed with RBI singles to push the Bears lead to 12-1.
Texas Tech rallied for a run in the eighth but was unable to do more damage.
Hill (2-0) earned the win in relief, allowing two walks in 1.1 hitless, scoreless innings. TTU reliever Caleb Kilian (1-1) took the loss, giving up four unearned runs on two hits and a walk with one strikeout in 0.2 innings.
