Baylor Baseball Walks Off Columbia, 4-3

[Calderone, Max]

BAYLOR ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS – March 13, 2022

Baylor BSB Walks Off Columbia, 4-3
McKenzie’s game-winning single clinches series over the Lions
For more information contact: Max Calderone, 254-265-1639, Max_Calderone at Baylor.edu<mailto:Max_Calderone at Baylor.edu>

THE RUNDOWN
WACO, Texas – Baylor baseball (9-6) walked off Columbia (4-6), 4-3), in 10 innings on Sunday afternoon at Baylor Ballpark to clinch the series over the Lions.

Jared McKenzie delivered the game-winning RBI with a single that scored Tre Richardson.

Richardson’s two-run home run opened the scoring for the Bears in the bottom of the third inning, answering the Lions’ first run of the day that came earlier in the top of the first off a BU error.

One unearned run is all Baylor starter Will Rigney allowed as he tossed a career-high 5.1 innings and notched three strikeouts in the no decision.

Columbia would tie things at 2-2 in the top of the sixth with an RBI double, but Baylor got back in front in the bottom half of the inning as Chase Wehsener scored on a fielder’s choice.

In the top of the eighth, the Lions knotted the tally once more with an RBI single. However, closer Mason Marriott went on to hold them scoreless over the next 2.2 innings as he picked up the first win of his collegiate career.

In the bottom of the 10th, Richardson walked to start things for the Bears. Next, Kyle Nevin doubled off the right field wall, then Wehsener was intentionally walked to set up McKenzie’s at-bat. The third-year sophomore preseason All-American wasted no time, driving the second pitch he saw into the right-center gap to send the Bears home happy.

NOTES
• Baylor is now 6-1 all-time against Ivy League teams.
• BU is 77-31 (.713) at home over the last five seasons, including a 5-5 mark at Baylor Ballpark in 2022.
• The 10-inning victory is Baylor’s first extra-innings win since April 18, 2019 at No. 16 Texas Tech (11-10, 11 inn.).
• Jared McKenzie’s walk-off hit is the first by a Baylor player since Ryan Bertelsman’s RBI single on March 27, 2019 against Texas Southern.
• Will Rigney pitched a career-high 5.1 innings, allowing just three hits, one unearned run and recording three strikeouts.
• Jack Pineda extended his on-base streak to 18 games, dating back to 2021.
• Pineda collected two doubles and now leads the Bears with seven extra-base hits on the season.
• Pineda also notched his team-best sixth multi-hit game of the year.
• Tre Richardson produced his third multi-RBI effort of 2022 with a two-run HR, his second of the year.
• Mason Marriott recorded his first-career win in a career-high 2.2 innings.

STAT OF THE GAME
10 – Baylor earned its first extra-inning win since 2019 with Jared McKenzie’s walk-off hit in the bottom of the 10th.

TOP QUOTES
Head coach Steve Rodriguez
On the team’s resiliency in the win…
“I’ll tell you what, our guys showed some resiliency today. We were swinging the bat pretty well all day and there wasn’t a lot to show for it. But, Jared [McKenzie] comes up in a big situation in the bottom of the 10th and just gets a humongous hit for us. You know for us, it’s a frustrating day when you’re hitting the ball hard and you’re not getting a lot of hits. I think our guys did a really good job at maintaining that consistency throughout the day and doing a pretty good job. Hats off to Columbia, they stayed right there with us and they took advantage of some of our mistakes. We have something to build on now.”

Sophomore OF Jared McKenzie
On coming through with the game-winning hit…
“I knew I was the fourth up to bat that inning. I thought about it in the outfield and once we got three outs, I knew I had an opportunity. And, I was thankful for that opportunity. Thank the good Lord I got a hit, because man, it’s been a tough fight these first fifty at-bats. But, I think we’re trying to figure out the groove and we’re going to be alright.”

WHAT'S NEXT
Baylor (9-6) heads to Sam Houston (10-5) for a midweek tilt in Huntsville. First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m. CT at Don Sanders Stadium on Tuesday, March 15.

For the latest news on the Baylor baseball team all season long, follow its official Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts: @BaylorBaseball.

-BaylorBears.com-


__________________________________

Max Calderone | Associate Director of Athletics Communications (BSB, FB, EQ)
Department of Athletics | Baylor University
C: 254-265-1639

[signature_855953535]<http://baylorbears.com/>

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://mailman.baylor.edu/pipermail/localmedia/attachments/20220314/88926744/attachment-0001.html>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: image001.png
Type: image/png
Size: 11693 bytes
Desc: image001.png
URL: <http://mailman.baylor.edu/pipermail/localmedia/attachments/20220314/88926744/attachment-0001.png>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: BU15 Box Score.pdf
Type: application/pdf
Size: 143192 bytes
Desc: BU15 Box Score.pdf
URL: <http://mailman.baylor.edu/pipermail/localmedia/attachments/20220314/88926744/attachment-0002.pdf>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: 2022 BSB Season Stats.pdf
Type: application/pdf
Size: 387690 bytes
Desc: 2022 BSB Season Stats.pdf
URL: <http://mailman.baylor.edu/pipermail/localmedia/attachments/20220314/88926744/attachment-0003.pdf>