Baylor Baseball Powers Past Oklahoma, 10-6, in Series Opener

[Calderone, Max]

BAYLOR ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS – April 6, 2023

Baylor Baseball Powers Past Oklahoma, 10-6, in Series Opener
Bears hit three late home runs, Oliver shuts the door behind Helton’s five quality innings
For more information contact: Max Calderone, 254-265-1639, Max_Calderone at Baylor.edu<mailto:Max_Calderone at Baylor.edu>

WACO, Texas – Behind three home runs in the final two home half innings, Baylor baseball (11-19, 3-7) powered past Oklahoma (16-15, 2-5) Thursday night at Baylor Ballpark in Waco.

After a couple of start time changes and an hour and five-minute delay, the Bears used some timely hitting and five quality innings on the mound by fifth-year senior starter Blake Helton to take the series opener from the Sooners. Junior RHP Hambleton Oliver came on to shut the door and pick up his second save of the season in the win.

For the 10th time in the last 14 games, BU’s offense produced double-digit hits with 13 for the second game in a row, including a trio of home runs hit by junior RHP/OF Cole Tremain, freshman C Walker Polk and junior OF Hunter Simmons. Freshman INF Kolby Branch also led the Bears with a 4-for-4 day at the plate, scoring three runs and driving in three as well.

THE RUNDOWN
Helton retired the Sooners in order in the top of the first, but got touched up a little in the second as OU plated four runs on three hits and two Baylor errors. However, Helton responded to put away nine of the final 10 batters he faced and kept his team in the ballgame through the first five innings.

In the bottom of the fifth, the Bears broke out with five consecutive hits, including a bases-clearing triple by Branch that brought BU back within one, then a game-tying double by Simmons knotted the scoreline at 4-4.

That’s when freshman southpaw Ethan Calder entered from the bullpen and kept the streak going, retired each of the first six he faced in two clean innings. He allowed Baylor to keep things going offensively, striking for three runs in the bottom of the seventh to go ahead 7-4. Tremain launched his first collegiate home run, a two-run blast, then Polk followed suit with a back-to-back pinch-hit jack, his second of the year.

OU scratched across a pair in the top of the eighth on back-to-back doubles and another BU error, but Oliver notched two massive strikeouts to strand the would-be game-tying run on second base and brought the Bears back up to bat leading by a run.

Simmons took matters into his own hands with two on and one out, crushing a three-run shot that proved to be the final nail in the coffin. With a 10-6 lead, Oliver went back out for the ninth and induced three groundouts to give Baylor the series-opening victory.

HIGHLIGHTS
• Though Baylor still trails the all-time series to Oklahoma, the Bears improved to 51-55 all-time against the Sooners.
• BU improved to 11-3 in games when scoring six or more runs and remained an unbeaten 4-0 in games when scoring 10 or more.
• For the 14th time this season and 10th time in the last 14 games, BU surpassed double digits in hits as a team with 13, matching the second-highest output of the season.
• Baylor hit a home run for the sixth-consecutive game and eighth time in its last nine contests.
• BU’s three home runs were its second-most in a game this year.
• Baylor pitchers did not walk a batter for the second time this season.
• Sophomore INF Hunter Teplanszky reached base safely for a team-best 18th game in a row and boasts a six-game hitting streak.
• Junior INF/OF Cole Posey extended his team-leading hitting streak to 14 games with his ninth multi-hit game of the season.
• Freshman OF Caleb Bergman has reached safely in nine games in a row.
• Freshman INF Kolby Branch extended his hitting streak to six games with his 12th multi-hit and fifth multi-RBI game of the year.
• Branch recorded his second four-hit performance of the year. Seven of his 12 multi-hit games have been three hits or more.
• Junior OF Hunter Simmons extended his hitting streak to five games with his 10th multi-hit performance and team-leading sixth multi-RBI effort of the 2023 campaign.
• Junior RHP/OF Cole Tremain hit his first-career home run and tallied his second multi-hit and multi-RBI game of the year.
• Freshman C Walker Polk hit his second pinch-hit blast of the season.
• Tremain and Polk’s back-to-back jacks were BU’s first consecutive homers since April 25, 2021 at Texas Tech (Tre Richardson and Andy Thomas).
• Freshman LHP Ethan Calder collected his second win of the season.
• Junior RHP Hambleton Oliver earned his second save of the year.

STAT OF THE GAME
13 – Baylor’s 13 hits matches its second-most in a single game for the third time this season. This is the 14th double-digit hitting performance of the year for the Bears, and 10th in the last 14 games.

QUOTABLE
Head Coach Mitch Thompson
On battling back after being down 4-0…
“There’s several things about tonight’s game that really stand out. Number one is we pitched the ball really well. Blake Helton gave us a really quality start. Second inning, he had some tough luck … but for him to come back out the next three innings, throw up three zeros, get us five innings into the game was huge. And then we turned it over to Ethan Calder and Hambleton Oliver, and both of those guys were really good. When you don’t walk people, you give yourselves a real good opportunity. So, hats off to the pitching staff. Coach Leverton had a great plan and the guys executed it.”

On the offense’s recent production…
“The thing with swinging the bats, we’re hitting the ball up and down the lineup. The first four-run inning starts with Caleb Bergman, our 9-hole guy, slapping the ball through the middle of the field. And then we just handed the baton off one guy to the next. Cole Tremain with the home run, Walker Polk with a pinch-hit home run, Hunter Simmons with his first home run of the year, we’re doing it up and down the lineup right now and that’s the good thing. If we can get 13 hits and three home runs, I’ll take my chances.”

Junior RHP Hambleton Oliver
On pitching in leverage situations…
“I do enjoy going out there with people on base. It’s fun getting out there and if you get out of that inning, you get to pump up the dugout a little bit with some screaming. I do like to do that, so I did [after getting out of the 8th inning]. It was good to give the team a chance to win the game. That’s all I can ask for.”

Junior RHP/OF Cole Tremain
On getting his chances offensively…
“It feels good. You know, there was a waiting game there for a little bit but I just tried to stay positive and stay ready for when my opportunity would come. I am thankful I am able to contribute and help this team win.”

WHAT’S NEXT
Baylor (11-19, 3-7) and Oklahoma (16-15, 2-5) are scheduled to play game two of the series on Friday at 6:30 p.m. at Baylor Ballpark in Waco.

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

[signature_3420023330]<http://baylorbears.com/>

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