March 12, 2006

Box Score

WACO, Texas -- Louisiana Tech scored five runs before Baylor came to bat, and the Bears were not able to recuperate in a 12-4 loss to the Bulldogs in Sunday's finale of the Quala-T Imprints Baylor Classic. With the win, Louisiana Tech (8-9) won the inaugural event; Tech and Baylor (12-4) both went 2-1 on the weekend, but the Bulldogs claimed the title by virtue of beating the Bears.

Baylor starter Tim Matthews (1-1) did not escape the first inning, recording only one out. After allowing only five runs in his first three career starts, Matthews was touched for five runs, four earned, on four hits and a walk. The Bears used seven pitchers on the day, the first five of which allowed at least one run. Drew Jeffcoat worked a perfect seventh before loading the bases with one out in the eighth. Jeff Mandel induced an inning-ending double play and then pitched a scoreless ninth.

However, the damage had been done by that point. Louisiana Tech, which scored 34 runs in three games on the weekend, plated three runs in the second, two in the fifth and two in the sixth. Jericho Jones, who was named tournament MVP, started the second with a 510-foot home run that easily cleared the scoreboard in left-center. It was hit third round-tripper of the weekend.

Baylor tried to get something started in the second. Consecutive singles by Seth Fortenberry and Tim Jackson put runners on the corner to start the inning. Ben Booker scored Fortenberry with a sacrifice fly, but the Bears could get no more.

The bottom of the fifth was a microcosm of Baylor's day. Chase Gerdes led off with a single up the middle. Kevin Sevigny then lined down the first-base line, where Louisiana Tech back-up first baseman Joey McCarthy made a diving catch while laying on the bag to double-off Gerdes.

Baylor did not threaten again until the seventh when Gerdes laced a two-out double to right-center and Sevigny followed with his first home run of the season. Beamer Weems walked, and pinch runner Seth Hammock scored two batters later on a Kevin Russo double.

Louisiana Tech starter Matt Lacy (2-1) held Baylor's bats in check through the first six frames before the Bears got to him in the seventh. He allowed four runs on 10 hits and a walk with three strikeouts over 7.0 innings. Alan Knotts scattered a pair of hits with one strikeout over the last 2.0 innings.

Amos Ramon, Ryan Hamilton, Brandon Hudson and Mims Boyce had three hits each for Louisiana Tech; Hudson drove in three. Jones went 2-for-4 with two RBI and scored twice.

Baylor was led at the plate by Jackson, Gerdes and Sevigny, each of whom had two hits on the day.

The Bears return to action Tuesday, traveling to Houston, Texas, for a single game at Houston. First pitch between the Bears and the Cougars is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Cougar Field on the Houston campus.

QUALA-T IMPRINTS BAYLOR CLASSIC

ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM

SP - Cory VanAllen, Baylor

SP - Luke Burnett, Louisiana Tech

RP - Craig Murray, Michigan

C - Zach Dillon, Baylor

1B - Brett Manning, Pacific

2B - Kevin Russo, Baylor

3B - Drew Bias, Baylor

SS - Leif Mahler, Michigan

OF - Jericho Jones, Louisiana Tech

OF - Matt Berezay, Pacific

OF - Seth Fortenberry, Baylor

DH - Tim Jackson, Baylor

UTL - Amos Ramon, Louisiana Tech

MVP - Jericho Jones, Louisiana Tech

NOTES:  Baylor falls to 2-1 all-time against Louisiana Tech, 0-1 under head coach Steve Smith. ... Russo extended his hitting streak to seven games, the longest this season by a Bear. ... Zach Dillon failed to reach safely for the first time in 23 games. ... Matt Sodolak's ninth-inning single kept alive Baylor's streak of 118 consecutive games in which a catcher has reached safely. ... Weems has reached safely in 15 consecutive games. ... The 12 runs were the most Baylor has allowed at home since April 19, 2003, a 23-18 loss to Missouri. ... A total of 1,850 pitchers were thrown in the six games of the Quala-T Imprints Baylor Classic, an average of 308 pitches per game.