BAYLOR BASEBALL: Bears Drop Series Opener to Oral Roberts

[Caton, Rachel]

BAYLOR ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS – February 21, 2020

BEARS DROP SERIES OPENER TO ORAL ROBERTS
Game two of the series is set for 2 p.m. CT on Saturday.
For more information contact: Rachel Caton, (254) 652-2061, Rachel_Caton at baylor.edu<mailto:Rachel_Caton at baylor.edu>

WACO, Texas – The Bears fell to visiting Oral Roberts in game one of the series 7-3 at Baylor Ballpark on Friday evening.

Six uncharacteristic errors in the field doomed the Bears (3-2), as only three of ORU’s seven runs on the day were earned.

Likewise, the Bears were unable to get anything going offensively, generating three runs on five hits. Three different Bears drove in one run apiece, as Andy Thomas, Chase Wehsener and Ricky Martinez each brought one home.

Whesener got the Bears on the board first with a solo home run in the bottom of the second inning, his second long ball of the year.

However, ORU (3-2) answered right back with two runs of their own in the top of the third inning to take a 2-1 lead.

The Bears tied it back up in the bottom of the fifth inning on an RBI double by Martinez.

That tie ballgame would be short lived, however, as ORU broke the game open with a four-run sixth inning, scoring the four runs on four hits while taking advantage of two Baylor errors.

With a 6-2 lead, ORU added one more in the seventh, while the Bears added one more in the eighth on a sac fly RBI from Thomas to make it 7-3.

Baylor starter Paul Dickens had the no-decision in the game, going 3.2 innings, allowing two runs (both unearned) on two hits with seven walks and a season-high seven strikeouts.

Reliever Daniel Caruso took the loss for the Bears, allowing three runs (two earned) on two hits with one walk and two strikeouts.

ORU starter AJ Archambo earned the win to improve to 1-0 as he tossed 6.0 innings, allowing two runs on three hits, while reliever Colten Weber earned a three-inning save, his first of the year.


NOTES

  *   The Bears are now 24-21 all-time against ORU
  *   CF Jared McKenzie extended his hitting streak to five games.
  *   C Andy Thomas extended his reached based streak to eight games, stemming back to the 2019 season.
  *   OF Mack Mueller extended his on-base streak to six games, going back to 2019.
  *   INF Ricky Martinez extended his hitting streak to three games and his on-base streak to seven games, good for second-best on the team.
  *   LHP Paul Dickens had the no-decision, tossing 3.2 innings, allowing two runs (both unearned) on two hits with seven walks and a season-best seven strikeouts.
  *   Dickens’ first strikeout of the day in the first inning was his 100th strikeout as a Bear.
  *   RHP Daniel Caruso made his second appearance of the year vs. Oral Roberts and took his first loss of the season, falling to 0-1.
  *   LHP Ryan Leckich made his second appearance of the year, tossing a season-high 2.1 innings in relief with a season-best three strikeouts.
  *   FR RHP Hambleton Oliver appeared in his third game of the year and his second appearance in as many games after starting last Tuesday vs. UAPB.
  *   1B Chase Wehsener connected on his second home run of the season (and his career). Both have been solo shots.
  *   C Andy Thomas gunned out his second would-be base stealer of the year and he is now 2-2 in caught stealing. For his career, he is 5-for-7 in catching would-be base stealers.

QUOTE OF THE DAY FROM HEAD COACH STEVE RODRIGUEZ
On takeaways from tonight’s game…
“The biggest thing is making plays. Just kind of puts everybody on their heels defensively. Offensively, you feel like you have to overcome so many things. The biggest thing is understand what your role is, understand what your job is. Don’t worry about everybody else’s job and just focus on yours. When everybody can do that in their own individual part, it’s amazing how simple the game can be. When certain things kind of get away from guys and they start to press a little bit, they try to overcome or do more just to make up for something they’ve done earlier. It just starts to snowball. As a player, I’ve done it. I completely understand it. Sometimes those are lessons learned on the field and not verbally.”


WHAT'S NEXT
The Bears return to action on Saturday, Feb. 22 for game two of the series with Oral Roberts at 2 p.m. CT. The game will be streamed live on Big 12 Now on ESPN+. Fans with tickets to the men’s basketball game vs. Kansas or the women’s basketball game vs. Oklahoma will get into the baseball game free when showing their ticket stub at the gate.

-baylorbears.com-


__________________________________

Rachel Caton | Associate Sports Information Director
Department of Athletics | Baylor University
O: 254-710-3784 | C: 254-652-2061

[cid:image001.png at 01D5070F.1E7C3CA0]<http://baylorbears.com/>

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