Baylor Baseball Comes Up Short at Oklahoma, 5-3

[Calderone, Max]

BAYLOR ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS – March 25, 2022

Baylor BSB Comes Up Short at Oklahoma, 5-3
Thomas tallies nine strikeouts in series opener
For more information contact: Max Calderone, 254-265-1639, Max_Calderone at Baylor.edu<mailto:Max_Calderone at Baylor.edu>

THE RUNDOWN
NORMAN, Okla. – Baylor baseball (11-10, 1-3) came up just short in its series opener against Oklahoma (13-7, 1-0) Friday night in Norman, Okla., dropping a 5-3 contest.

The Bears threatened late, loading the bases with one out in the top of the ninth inning, but were unable to bring the tying run home. Senior LHP Tyler Thomas (3-3) gave BU another quality start, his sixth in as many attempts this season, with nine punchouts in 5.2 innings of work and just three runs allowed.

Baylor opened the scoring in the top of the second, as three-straight two-out singles plated a pair of runs. Alex Gonzales drove in Ian Groves, then Jack Pineda knocked in Esteban Cardoza-Oquendo to give the Bears an early 2-0 lead.

In the bottom half, OU responded with a solo home run, then added two more runs in the third off another solo shot and an RBI single to go in front. Things were then kept quiet by both starters, as Thomas and Sooners’ lefty Jake Bennett (2-0) put up a handful of zeros.

In the sixth, Chandler Freeman entered for the Bears and got out of a jam with a big strikeout, but then allowed two runs, one unearned, in the seventh as OU extended its lead to 5-2.

An RBI single by pinch-hitter Casen Neumann brought the Bears one run closer in the eighth, but Oklahoma escaped further damage as a groundout stranded the bases loaded.

It was the same fate for BU in the ninth, as the Bears threatened with the bases juiced once again, but were unable to cash in on the opportunity.

NOTES
• Baylor outhit its opponent for the 10th time this season, but fell to 8-2 in such games.
• BU recorded its seventh game of the season with double-digit strikeouts as a pitching staff.
• Tyler Thomas recorded nine strikeouts for his third start with at least nine punchouts in 2022.
• Thomas produced his sixth quality start in as many attempts, going 5.2 innings with just three runs allowed.
• Tre Richardson extended his on-base streak to 12 games and his hitting streak to nine games.
• Harrison Caley extended his on-base streak to nine games.
• Jared McKenzie has reached base in eight-straight games.
• Jack Pineda led the Bears with two hits, his 10th multi-hit performance of the season and sixth such effort in his last eight games.
• Beau Wimpee tallied his first hit of the year with a pinch-hit single in the ninth inning.
• Casen Neumann hit safely for the fifth time in his last six games and picked up his sixth RBI of the season.

STAT OF THE GAME
9 – Tyler Thomas recorded nine strikeouts for the third time this season in his sixth quality start of 2022.

TOP QUOTES
Head coach Steve Rodriguez
On tonight’s game…
“Tyler [Thomas] came out and did a great job for us. We were swinging the bats really well, got some runs early and then just couldn’t get guys in scoring position to be able to execute. Later in the game we had guys on base, all we were looking for was a hit and we just couldn’t get it. [OU] was able to get a couple of hits that scored some runs, so you tip your hat to them. They were just able to come away with it today.”

WHAT'S NEXT
Baylor (11-10, 1-3) and Oklahoma (13-7, 1-0) return to L. Dale Mitchell Park for game two of the three-game series on Saturday, March 26, with first pitch scheduled for 2 p.m. CT.

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_4114295464]<http://baylorbears.com/>

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