Baylor Baseball Comes From Behind Again to Win at UCF, 5-4

[Calderone, Max]

BAYLOR ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS – May 16, 2025

Baylor Baseball Comes From Behind Again to Win at UCF, 5-4
Bears erase 3-0 deficit to clinch series against the Knights
For more information contact: Max Calderone, 254-265-1639, Max_Calderone at Baylor.edu<mailto:Max_Calderone at Baylor.edu>

ORLANDO, Fla. – For the third game in a row, Baylor baseball erased an early deficit and won a 5-4 ballgame, this time at UCF Friday night to clinch the series at John Euliano Park in Orlando, Fla.

The Bears scored four runs in the top of the sixth to take the lead, boosted by freshman infielder Pearson Riebock’s two-run home run. An insurance run in the top of the eighth helped BU stave off UCF late, as junior right-hander Grayson Murry locked down his second save of the year.

THE RUNDOWN
After the two sides went scoreless in the opening frame, UCF put up the game’s first run on a solo homer in the bottom of the second. Another solo shot by the Knights doubled the lead in the third, as BU found itself in an early 2-0 hole.

UCF plated one more in the bottom of the fourth thanks in part to back-to-back two-out singles and a Baylor throwing error that allowed a run to score and effectively chased starter Ethan Calder from the ballgame.

Senior right-hander Caleb Bunch came on to record the final out of the fourth and notched a 1-2-3 frame in the fifth on just four pitches, getting the Bears back up to the plate trailing by three runs.

Three-straight hits to start the top of the sixth tied the ballgame, as senior outfielder Wesley Jordan doubled in senior infielder Tyriq Kemp, then scored on Riebock’s second home run of the season, a game-tying two-run shot to dead center. After redshirt senior first baseman Will Pendergrass and senior outfielder Ty Johnson both reached, an RBI sacrifice bunt by sophomore catcher JJ Kennett gave the Bears a 4-3 lead.

BU added on in the eighth as redshirt sophomore infielder Travis Sanders walked with the bases loading, giving the visitors a 5-3 advantage. Meanwhile, Bunch continued to put up zeroes before handing the ball over to Murry, who entered with runners on the corners and one out in the bottom of the eighth.

The first batter Murry faced reached on a Baylor throwing error, allowing the Knights to pull one back at 5-4, but a popout and a groundout ended the inning and sent the game to the ninth with the Bears leading by one.

Though BU was unable to add any more insurance in the ninth, Murry faced the minimum in the home half and was aided by a game-ending double play that sealed the victory and clinched the series for the Bears.

HIGHLIGHTS
• Tonight’s win marked Baylor’s 15th come-from-behind victory of the season.
• BU pitchers did not allow a walk for the fourth time this season.
• The Bears improved to 22-5 this season when allowing two walks or fewer.
• Baylor logged 10 hits for the 24th time this season and improved to 19-5 in such games.
• Redshirt senior OF Enzo Apodaca extended his on-base streak to 20 games.
• Senior INF Tyriq Kemp reached base for the 29th-consecutive game.
• Kemp also tallied his team-leading 19th multi-hit game of the season.
• Senior OF Wesley Jordan logged his 15th multi-hit game of the year and extended his on-base streak to nine games.
• Jordan also collected his 100th-career hit.
• Freshman INF Pearson Riebock extended his on-base streak to 16 games.
• Riebock also notched his 17th multi-hit game and ninth multi-RBI effort of the season.
• Riebock crushed his second home run of the season, a two-run blast to dead center field.
• Senior RHP Caleb Bunch picked up his second win of the season after throwing 3.2 innings and allowing just one run with three strikeouts.
• Junior RHP Grayson Murry earned his second save of the season, going 1.2 scoreless innings.
• It was Murry’s 13th scoreless appearance of the season.

STAT OF THE DAY
5-4 – Baylor won a 5-4 ballgame for the third time in a row, also marking its 15th comeback win of the season.

QUOTABLE
Head Coach Mitch Thompson
On the four-run sixth inning…
“The first three guys that inning just smoked some balls. Pearson goes out of the yard and it’s a tie game. Lots of good stuff happened in that inning. Big innings win games and he who has the bullpen wins too. Love what we got out of our bullpen tonight, so really nice job to finish that one off and get a big W.”

Senior RHP Caleb Bunch
On his performance on the mound…
“Coming into the situation that I did, having the trust in the guys behind me allows me to throw the ball over the plate and let them do their thing to get guys out and get us back in to score some more runs. When our guys are doing that at the plate, it makes us as pitchers feel like we’re never out of the game. I was just trying to throw up zeroes so they could come in and have a chance to do something.”

Freshman INF Pearson Riebock
On his home run in the sixth inning…
“Coach Dillon came up to me before that at-bat and told me to do a job there. I was trying to get a ball in front and move him over to third so we could get the run in. Luckily, I ran into one and it went out.”

WHAT’S NEXT
Baylor (33-20, 13-16) looks for its first sweep of Big 12 play in the regular-season finale at UCF (28-26, 8-21) Saturday, May 17, at John Euliano Park in Orlando, Fla. First pitch is set for 11 a.m. CT.

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_3474321671]<http://baylorbears.com/>

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