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Pankratz, Bears Slams Vandy 9-4
March 11, 2005
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Mike Pankratz hit the first grand slam of his career to begin a six-run Baylor 13th inning as the 19th-ranked Bears defeated No. 8 Vanderbilt 9-4 Friday at Hawkins Field. The victory put an end to Vanderbilt's national-best 12-game winning streak and gives Baylor (9-7) its first Friday victory since defeating Zach Dillon led off the 13th with his third double of the day and then took third on a Kevin Sevigny fielder's choice sacrifice bunt. After Sevigny stole second, Vanderbilt (12-1) intentionally walked Kevin Russo to load the bases and set up the force out at home with Pankratz at the plate.
Pankratz, who entered the game as a pinch hitter with two outs in the ninth, blasted a 1-1 pitch off the batter's eye beyond the centerfield wall. It was the first home run for Pankratz since his second at bat of the season when he hit a solo shot against The Bears did not stop there, though, as Paul Witt beat out an infield single and Chase Gerdes followed with a double down the line in right. Michael Griffin then plated Witt with a sacrifice fly, and Josh Ford plated Gerdes with a single up the middle. Vanderbilt scratched out a run in the bottom of the 13th on a Warner Jones double and a Woody (1-0) pitched the final 5.1 innings, one-third of an inning shy of the longest relief outing of his career; he allowed one run on four hits. The game went to extra innings because of a Hernandez two-run single in the bottom of the eighth. With runners at second and third and one out, Hernandez got just enough of a Woody pitch to slap it into right and score both runners. Those two runs nullified Baylor starter Trey Taylor as the pitcher of record after he allowed three runs on four hits and four walks with five strikeouts in 7.2 innings. It marked the 16th consecutive start for Vanderbilt took the game's first lead in the bottom of the second on a Dominic De La Osa sacrifice fly. Baylor tied the game in the fifth on a Gerdes sacrifice fly. The Bears moved ahead in the top of the sixth, scoring two runs on four hits. Reid Brees plated the first run with an RBI double down the leftfield line and later scored on a Russo single up the middle. Ryan Rote (0-1), the third of three pitchers for Vanderbilt, was saddled with the loss; he allowed three runs on two hits and three walks with four strikeouts in 3.1 innings. Cameron Betourne entered the game to face Pankratz in the 13th and was touched for three runs on four hits. Vanderbilt starter Jensen Lewis allowed three runs, two earned, on six hits with four walks in 5.2 innings. Baylor and Vanderbilt meet again Saturday at NOTES: Baylor leads the all-time series 3-2 and snaps a two-game Vanderbilt winning streak in the series. This was the teams' first meeting at |
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