LUBBOCK, TEXAS (May 17, 2008) Raynor Campbell was 4-for-6 with a home run, and Ben Booker tallied three doubles as Baylor defeated Texas Tech 13-3 in Saturday's Big 12
Conference action at Dan Law Field. The Bears (31-23, 11-15) clinched a spot in next week's Big 12 Championship with the victory; Baylor will be the sixth seed in the event. The Red Raiders (24-30, 8-18) were eliminated from postseason contention with the loss.
It was Baylor's largest margin of victory in a Big 12 road game since a 13-2 victory at Kansas in 2005. The Bears, who averaged 2.5 runs per game in 12 conference road games before Saturday, scored in six of nine innings. Baylor produced 16 hits, 10 of which were for extra bases.
Shaver Hansen got the scoring started with a two-out, three-run homer in the top of the first. After Texas Tech got a Jason Seefeld leadoff homer in the second, the Bears answered with a four-run third to take control of the game. Campbell opened the inning with a double, and Beamer Weems followed with a homer down the line in right. Dustin Dickerson added an RBI single, and Adam Hornung capped the inning with an RBI double. The Red Raiders never threatened again.
Mace Thurman (3-1) earned the victory for the Bears, allowing one run on five hits and two walks with four strikeouts over 4.1 innings of relief. Starter Craig Fritsch was touched for two runs on three hits and five walks with one strikeout over 4.1 innings; he left the game after consecutive walks to load the bases with one out in the fifth. After Thurman ran into trouble in the ninth, loading the bases on three singles, Randall Linebaugh retired Doug Thennis on a fly ball to deep center to end the game.
Baylor pushed its lead to 10-1 thanks to Campbell's leadoff homer in the fourth and two runs on a wild pitch and Gregg Glime's sacrifice fly in the fifth. Tech got a run back on Roger Kieschnick's RBI groundout in the bottom of the fifth. Joey Kenworthy's RBI double in the seventh cut Baylor's lead to 10-3, but the Bears closed strong. Booker clubbed an RBI double, and Dustin Dickerson had a sacrifice fly in the eighth. Glime doubled with one out in the ninth and scored on Campbell's RBI single.
Tech starter Chad Bettis (4-5) took the loss, allowing eight runs on eight hits and three walks with two strikeouts over 3.0-plus innings; he left the game after Campbell's leadoff homer in the fourth.
Eight of Baylor's nine starters collected at least one hit. Dickerson, Hornung and Weems all joined Booker and Campbell with multiple-hit games, each collecting two hits. Campbell, Dickerson and Weems each had two RBI. Booker and Campbell scored three times each, and Dickerson touched home twice.
Baylor and Texas Tech conclude the series Sunday at 1 p.m. CDT. The Bears are not yet settled on a starter; it will be either right-hander Tim Matthews (5-1, 3.33 ERA) or right-hander Willie Kempf (6-2, 3.79). The Red Raiders are scheduled to start right-hander Nate Karns (2-6, 9.00 ERA).
NOTES: Texas Tech leads the all-time series 69-66, including a 43-21 advantage in games played at Lubbock. The Bears are 19-28 against Tech during head coach Steve Smith's tenure. Baylor is 18-21 against the Raiders during the Big 12 era, including a 15-20 mark in regular-season meetings. ... Baylor moves to 2-12 at Dan Law Field since 2000. This was Baylor's first Saturday victory at Texas Tech since 1993; the Bears had lost six straight such games. ... Campbell (five games), Miller (four games), Weems (four games), Booker (three games) and Hornung (three games) all extended hitting streaks. ... Campbell's four-hit game was the second of his career; he also had four hits at Kansas last season. ... Booker established a career-high with three doubles. ... Saturday was Baylor's fifth game this season with at least three home runs. ... The Bears have hit 50 home runs this season, the most by a Baylor team since the 2004 squad hit 54.
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