BAYLOR BASEBALL FALLS TO TEXAS 8-2

WACO, TEXAS (April 23, 2008) Two pinch hits helped Texas pull away late with a two-run seventh and a three-run ninth en route to an 8-2 victory over Baylor in a non-Big 12 Conference game Tuesday night at Baylor Ballpark. The Bears (23-18) have lost five straight for the first time since May, 2006. The Longhorns (24-16) snapped a four-game losing streak with the win, its 10th straight against Baylor.

This was the first regular-season, non-conference meeting between Baylor and Texas since 1914, the year before the inception of the Southwest Conference. The Bears and the Longhorns last met in a non-Big 12 and non-Big 12 Tournament game in 2005 when the teams faced each other twice at the College World Series.

Landis Ware’s two-out, infield RBI single in the sixth pulled Baylor to within one run at 3-2. However, the Longhorns quickly answered with two runs on two hits and a Baylor error in the top of the seventh. Travis Tucker scored the first run with a sacrifice fly, and Kyle Lusson added a pinch-hit RBI single. Tant Shepherd’s pinch-hit, three-run homer with two outs in the top of the ninth capped the scoring.

Texas starter Kenn Kasparek (2-3) earned the victory, holding the Bears to one run on two hits and three walks with seven strikeouts over 5.0 innings. Stayton Thomas went the rest of the way for his third save of the season; he allowed one run on two hits and a walk with five strikeouts over 4.0 innings.

Baylor starter Wade Mackey (2-3) took the loss; he surrendered three runs and six hits and a walk with one strikeout in 3.0 innings of work.

Jordan Danks’ two-out solo home run in the first inning opened the scoring. Russell Moldenhauer and Kyle Russell followed with consecutive doubles to give Texas an early 2-0 lead; the Longhorns never relinquished that lead.

The Bears had a chance to erase the deficit in the bottom of the first but could manage only one run on Adam Hornung’s RBI single. Baylor loaded the bases with one out, but Kasparek retired the next two batters to escape the jam.

Texas extended its lead to 3-1 in the third on a leadoff walk, a sacrifice bunt and a Russell RBI single. Meanwhile, Baylor managed just one hit – a Dustin Dickerson two-out single in the fifth – between Hornung’s first-inning RBI single and Aaron Miller’s sixth-inning, leadoff double.

Baylor returns to action Wednesday, traveling to San Marcos, Texas, to face Texas State. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. CDT at Bobcat Field. The Bears send right-hander Tim Matthews (3-1, 2.73 ERA) to the mound for his fifth start of the season.

NOTES: Texas leads the all-time series 222-97-4, including an 87-55-3 advantage in games played in Waco. The Bears are 25-26 against Texas during head coach Steve Smith’s tenure. … Hornung (seven games) and Miller (three games) both extended hitting streaks, while Jon Ringenberg saw his career-long, five-game streak end. … Ware’s sixth-inning single snapped an 0-for-26 skid, prior to which he had not gone more than seven at bats without a hit this season. … Hornung extended his hitting streak at Baylor Ballpark to 17 games. … Shaver Hansen snapped hitting streaks of 17 games in non-conference play and 11 games in midweek action.