Baylor Baseball Drops Extra-Innings Thriller to Gonzaga, 8-7 in 10 Innings

[Calderone, Max]

BAYLOR ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS – Feb. 23, 2025

Baylor Baseball Drops Extra-Innings Thriller to Gonzaga, 8-7 in 10 Innings
Bears take first loss of the year after back-and-forth affair
For more information contact: Max Calderone, 254-265-1639, Max_Calderone at Baylor.edu<mailto:Max_Calderone at Baylor.edu>

WACO, Texas – Baylor baseball dropped its series finale to Gonzaga, 8-7, in 10 innings on Sunday afternoon at Baylor Ballpark in Waco.

The Bears (6-1) and the Bulldogs (2-4) went back and forth throughout the ballgame with five lead changes and two ties, with the Bulldogs ultimately coming out on top in extra frames. BU stranded the tying run at first base in the 10th after scoring runs in each the bottom of the eighth and ninth to stay alive.

Senior right-hander Will Glatch posted three scoreless innings of relief, backing up Baylor starter Cole Stasio who got through four innings and allowed just two runs on two hits with four strikeouts. Seniors Patrick Hail and Caleb Bunch had big moments in the eighth to prevent the Zags from scoring and gave the Bears an opportunity at the plate.

Each of the bottom four hitters in the BU lineup tallied a pair of hits, including a game-tying RBI triple by senior outfielder Ty Johnson in the bottom of the ninth. Freshman infielder Pearson Riebock drove in two runs and sophomore catcher JJ Kennett launched his first home run as a Bear, a two-run shot to knot the score in the fifth inning.

THE RUNDOWN
After the two sides traded zeros in the first two frames, it was Gonzaga that opened the scoring with a run in the top of the third on an RBI single. However, Baylor answered with a three spot in the bottom of the fourth on Riebock’s two-run single and an RBI knock by Kennett.

A three-run home run and an RBI double put the Bulldogs ahead, 5-3, in the top of the fifth, but BU responded once again with Kennett’s two-run blast to knot the scoreline at 5-5 through six innings.

Glatch continued to put up zeros on the mound and turned the ball over to Hail in the top of the eighth, who recorded a big strikeout with the bases loaded. Bunch came on with two away and induced a fly out to leave the bases full of Bulldogs. Then, the Bears re-took the lead in the bottom of the eighth as redshirt senior outfielder Enzo Apodaca was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, making it 6-5.

In the ninth, the Zags got each of the first two batters on and advanced them both 90 feet with a sacrifice bunt. An RBI groundout and a Baylor error allowed both runs to score, giving the Bulldogs a 7-6 lead.

Once again, BU countered to tie the ballgame on Johnson’s RBI triple in the home half of the ninth. But, Gonzaga would push across the game’s final tally in the top of the 10th on a passed ball to avoid the series sweep.

HIGHLIGHTS
• Baylor logged its fourth double-digit hitting output as a team with 10 hits.
• Redshirt senior OF Enzo Apodaca tallied his sixth-consecutive game with both a hit and an RBI.
• Senior OF Ty Johnson posted his third multi-hit game of the season, which included a game-tying RBI triple, his first three-bagger of the year.
• Freshman INF Pearson Riebock added two hits, his second multi-hit performance of 2025.
• Riebock also drove in two runs, a season high.
• Sophomore C JJ Kennett launched his first-career home run as part of his two-hit and three-RBI day. It marked his second multi-hit and multi-RBI output of the year.
• Senior INF Tyriq Kemp recorded his fifth multi-hit game of the season.
• Fifth-year senior RHP Cole Stasio tied his career high with four strikeouts.
• Senior RHP Will Glatch worked a career-high three innings and fanned two to match his personal best.
• Senior righty’s Patrick Hail and Caleb Bunch each posted scoreless appearances.

STAT OF THE DAY
8 – Baylor’s six through nine hitters (Ty Johnson, Pearson Riebock, JJ Kennett and Tyriq Kemp) combined for eight of the club’s 10 hits on the day.

QUOTABLE
Head Coach Mitch Thompson
On the competitiveness of today’s ballgame…
“I thought the competitiveness was outstanding by both teams for an early season game. Both teams wanted to win. You know, you win a series on Saturday and you’re playing for the sweep on Sunday. We wanted this one today, but they obviously battled really hard and I give them credit. Our guys battled as well and it was just a hard-fought, competitive game. I don’t think anybody lost it, I just think Gonzaga won it.”

Senior RHP Will Glatch
On what the team can learn from the loss…
“It’s tough. It’s always tough to battle through bad things and especially when you’re winning for most of the game and then they come back. But I think we did learn a little bit about us today, that we are going to fight back and if they do punch us enough, we’ll punch them right back.”

WHAT’S NEXT
Baylor (6-1) hosts Stephen F. Austin (3-4) for a midweek matchup set for 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 25, at Baylor Ballpark in Waco, closing out the Bears’ season-opening eight-game homestand.

To stay up to date on all things Baylor baseball, follow the team on its official Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts: @BaylorBaseball.



-BaylorBears.com-


__________________________________

Max Calderone | Director of Athletics Communications (Baseball, Football)
Department of Athletics | Baylor University
C: 254-265-1639

[signature_671290565]<http://baylorbears.com/>

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