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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 – May 20, 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">Late Runs Propel Baseball to 9-5 Win Over OU<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">The Bears put up four runs in the eighth to seal the win<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">Media Link:
</span></b><a href="https://baylorbea.rs/37RVUDI"><b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">https://baylorbea.rs/37RVUDI</span></b></a><b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></b></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 put up four runs in the eighth inning to come away with game one, 9-5, versus Oklahoma
on Thursday night at Baylor Ballpark in Waco, Texas. The Bears (31-16, 11-11 Big 12) never trailed in the game against the Sooners (25-26, 9-13 Big 12). Game two of the series has been moved up to 3 p.m. on Friday.<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">For the fifth-consecutive game, Baylor scored in the first inning, after back-to-back hits from second-year freshmen Jared McKenzie and Tre Richardson, set up fifth-year senior Andy
Thomas who smashed a three-run homer to put the Bears up 3-0.<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 Sooners tied things up with a run in the fourth and two in the fifth. The Bears responded in the home-half of the seventh after sophomore Jack Pineda crushed a leadoff triple
off the wall and McKenzie smacked his ninth home run of the season to put Baylor ahead, 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">OU had an answer in the top half of the eighth with two runs of its own to make it 5-5. Once again, the Bears battled back, this time with a four-spot in the home-half of the eighth
inning. Second-year freshman Kyle Nevin led things off with a single, while in the next at-bat, fourth-year junior Davion Downey ripped an RBI-double off the wall to give BU the 6-5 edge. Baylor added another run after reaching on an error. Two bases-loaded
walks capped the inning as BU held the 9-5 advantage going into the ninth.<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">Fifth-year senior Luke Boyd (1-2) earned his first win of the season after hurling 1.2 innings and striking out two. Baylor true freshman starter Cam Caley threw five innings while
allowing three runs on four hits and striking out four. OU reliever, Wyatt Olds (4-6) was tabbed with the loss.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></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">• The Bears are 23-4 at Baylor Ballpark this season.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">• After starting Big 12 play 1-5, BU is now 11-11.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">• BU evened the season series with OU, avenging the loss at the Round Rock Classic on Feb. 28.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">• Baylor has scored in the first inning in each of the last five games. BU is outscoring opponents now 56-19 in the first frame.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">• BU is outscoring opponents 41-17 in the eighth inning.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">• BU 1-8 batters each finished the game with at least one hit.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">• Thomas hit his 11<sup>th</sup> home run of the season and 21<sup>st</sup> of his career.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">• Thomas has a team-leading 58 RBI of the season after finishing with four on the night.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">• Thomas’ 58 RBI are the most for a BU batter since 2012 where Josh Ludy had 71 on the season.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">• McKenzie smacked his ninth home run of the year.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">• McKenzie finished 3-for-5 with three runs and two RBI.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">• Boyd earned his first win 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">QUOTE FROM COACH ROD</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">“Andy Thomas’ home run got everything off on the right foot. We’re going up against Jason Ruffcorn, All-American, converted closer to starter, just an unbelievable pitcher with all
the accolades that he’s received that are very warranted. I'll tell you what, our guys did a great job pushing him to get his pitch count elevated and next thing you know we get guys on base and put him in some tough innings. I think there was one or two innings
where we didn’t have guys on base and he really had to bear down. There were some aggressive innings where he actually had to work. But our guys did a phenomenal job working at bats and not swinging at stuff that we shouldn’t swing at. It was pretty impressive
what our guys did, especially when we made a couple mistakes.</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></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 Bears and Sooners will play game two tomorrow at 3 p.m. at Baylor Ballpark. The game was moved up due to incoming weather.<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"><i><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;letter-spacing:.25pt;background:white">-BaylorBears.com-</span></i><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@01D74DC9.A00730B0" alt="signature_1317349098"></span></a><span style="color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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