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<p class="MsoNormal" align="right" style="text-align:right"><b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">BAYLOR ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS – March 5, 2021</span></b><u><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Impact",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"> </span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">Baseball Edges Memphis, 5-4 on Friday Night<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">Fifth-year senior Luke Boyd shut the door in the ninth</span></i><i><u><span style="font-family:"Impact",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></u></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">For more information contact: </span></b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">Zach Rhodes, 919-247-7585, </span><u><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#0563C1">Zach_Rhodes@baylor.edu</span></u><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"> </span><span style="color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">WACO, Texas – </span></b><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">Baylor baseball pulled out a gritty 5-4 win over Memphis, in the first game of the four-game series
at Baylor Ballpark on Friday night. The Bears (4-4) jumped to a 3-1 edge in the first inning and managed to hold on to defeat the Tigers (4-2).<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">The Bears gave up a run early in the first, but soon took the lead in the bottom of the frame. Fifth-year senior catcher Andy Thomas hit an RBI-single to tie things up. Later in the
inning, fourth-year junior Davion Downey came up big with an RBI-single to score two and give the Bears the 3-1 advantage.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">Baylor added to its lead in the bottom of the fourth, when second-year freshman Jared McKenzie hit a sacrifice fly into centerfield allowing Downey to score and extend the Baylor
lead to 4-1.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">The Bears gave up two solo home runs in the sixth and seventh, as the BU lead trimmed to 4-3. In the home-half of the seventh, third baseman Esteban Cardoza-Oquendo hit an RBI-single,
to push the lead to 5-3. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">The Tigers added a run in the eighth, but it was not enough as a strikeout and runner caught stealing in the ninth ended the game, with Baylor on top, 5-4.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">In his first win of the season, starter Blake Helton (1-1) threw for a career-high six innings, while allowing two runs on four hits and tying a career-best with six strikeouts. Memphis’
Blake Wimberley (0-1) was tabbed with the loss, as BU’s fifth-year senior Luke Boyd (1) shut the door with his first save of the season.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">NOTES</span></b><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">• Helton threw a career high for six innings while also tying a career high with six strikeouts in his first win since 2019.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">• Three players ended the game with two hits, including McKenzie, Downey, and second-year freshman Tre Richardson.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">• Downey ended the night with two RBI which matched his season high.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">• After ending 2020 tied for the nation in saves with six, Boyd earned his first save in his first save opportunity of 2021.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">QUOTE FROM COACH ROD</span></b><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><br>
“It was great watching (Blake) Helton go out there and get us a little deeper into the game and also having (Luke) Boyd come in and close it out, obviously helps. I tell people that he’s one of the best there is for a reason and that’s why he’s out there. Watching
those two do that today was really great for our team.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">WHAT’S NEXT</span></b><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><br>
The two sides will play two on Saturday with first pitch of the first game coming at 2 p.m. The first game played will be seven innings and the second a full nine-inning contest.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">To stay up to date throughout the season on all things Baylor baseball, follow the team on Facebook (Baylor Baseball), Twitter (@BaylorBaseball) and Instagram (@BaylorBaseball).<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><i><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt;background:white">-BaylorBears.com-</span></i><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color:black">Zach Rhodes</span></b><span style="color:black"> | Associate Director of Athletics Communications<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black">Department of Athletics | Baylor University<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black">C: 919-247-7585 | O: 254-710-3784<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://baylorbears.com/" title="http://baylorbears.com/"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:windowtext;text-decoration:none"><img border="0" width="160" height="44" style="width:1.6666in;height:.4583in" id="Picture_x0020_1" src="cid:image001.png@01D7120E.C21B7360" alt="signature_447652735"></span></a><span style="color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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