MANHATTAN, KANSAS (April 12, 2008) Aaron Miller's pinch-hit, two-out RBI single in the top of the eighth gave Baylor a 5-4 victory at Kansas State in Saturday afternoon's Big 12 Conference action at Tointon Stadium. Baylor (21-13, 7-7) snapped a five-game losing streak at Kansas State (16-17, 3-8) that dated back to the 2004 season. The Bears also improved to 10-5 in one-run games, reaching double figures in one-run victories for the first time since the 2005 squad was 15-8.
Dustin Dickerson walked to leadoff the eighth and moved to second on Adam Hornung's sacrifice bunt. After Jon Ringenberg struck out, Miller laced 1-2 Daniel Edwards offering just inside the left-field line to score Dickerson and break a 4-4 tie. It was the first career pinch hit for Miller, who did not start for the first time this season.
Kansas State threatened in the bottom of the ninth. Nate Tenbrink led off with a
pinch-hit single through the right side. After an Adam Muenster sacrifice bunt pushed pinch runner Dane Yelovich to second, Jordan Cruz walked to put the potential winning run on base. However, Tim Matthews struck out Justin Bloxom and got Jason King to ground out, ending the game.
Craig Fritsch (2-2) was the first of three relievers for the Bears and earned the win; he allowed two runs on two hits and two walks with three strikeouts over 3.0 innings. Matthews recorded his second save of the season. Starter Willie Kempf allowed two runs on five hits and three walks with three strikeouts but left the game after loading the bases to start the fifth inning. Randall Linebaugh bridged the gap from Fritsch to Matthews with 1.1 scoreless innings.
Chase Bayuk (1-3) took the loss in relief; he allowed one run on no hits and two
walks with a strikeout over 1.1 innings. Starter Justin Murray was touched for four runs, two earned, on six hits and no walks with four strikeouts over 5.2 innings.
Baylor scored one run in five different innings, building leads of 3-0 and 4-1 before Kansas State tied the game in the seventh. Beamer Weems doubled with one out in the first, moved to third on a passed ball and scored on Dickerson's RBI groundout. Raynor Campbell reached on a one-out error in the second, took third on Ben Booker's single and then scored on a Landis Ware groundout.
Campbell pushed the Bears' lead to 3-0 with a two-out solo homer to right in the
fourth; it was the first opposite-field homer of Campbell's career. Kansas State got on the board in the bottom of the inning. The Cats loaded the bases with three straight one-out singles. Byron Wiley beat out Baylor's double-play attempt to score a run, but Wiley was picked off first to end the inning.
Kansas State tied the game with two runs on two hits and a walk in the seventh. Muenster singled with one out and moved to second on a Cruz single. Bloxom then singled off the wall in right to score Muenster and push Cruz to third. King followed with a slow grounder to short, scoring Bloxom.
Seven Bears had one hit, while Dickerson and Campbell each scored twice. Bloxom's 2-for-5 day was the only multiple-hit outing of the day for either team.
Baylor and Kansas State conclude the series Sunday at 1 p.m. CDT. The Bears send right-hander Shawn Tolleson (3-1, 4.15 ERA) to the mound. The Wildcats counter with southpaw Lance Hoge (1-2, 3.67 ERA).
NOTES: Baylor leads the all-time series 28-10, including a 9-8 edge in games played at Manhattan. The Bears are 27-9 against the Wildcats since the inception of the Big 12 in 1997, including a 27-8 mark in regular-season meetings. Campbell has hit safely in nine consecutive Big 12 games.
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