University of Missouri
Baylor
No. 18 Baylor Thumps Mizzou, 13-4
4/8/2000 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 8, 2000
COLUMBIA, MO -- The Baylor Bears, ranked 18th by Collegiate Baseball, spoiled the dedication of the University of Missouri's new Taylor Stadium at Simmons Field, scoring runs in each of the first seven innings on their way to a 13-4 Big 12 Conference victory.
The win was Baylor's eighth in a row and raised their record to 28-10. The Bears are 12-5 in the Big 12, just behind league-leading Texas (14-3). Missouri dropped to 20-13, 7-7, and lost its chance to win a third league series in a row.
Baylor scored unearned runs in the first and second innings, then broke things open with three runs in the third, two in the fifth and sixth and a single run in the seventh. Missouri loaded the bases with one out in the first inning but failed to score, and hit into its first of three double plays in the second inning - missing opportunities that came back to haunt the Tigers as the game wore on.
Kyle Evans (7-0) pitched into the fourth inning for Baylor, but Justin Taylor came on to work the final 5-and-a-third innings to earn the victory (3-0). Taylor gave up five hits but only one run - on a pinch hit home run by W.T. Hoover in the ninth inning. He struck out five and walked one.
Missouri starter Ralph McCasland allowed Baylor's first five runs and took the loss (6-3).
Matt Williams paced the Bears' 13-hit attack with a 3-for-3 day. Jace Brewer, Mike Huggins, Chris Durbin and Preston Underdown each added two hits.
Missouri was led by shortstop Ryan Stegall who went 3-for-4, extending his hitting streak to 11 games and raising his Big 12 batting average to .500 (31-for-62). Freshman Jayce Tingler reached base three times, but saw his team-best 15-game hitting streak come to an end.
Missouri pounded out 12 hits, but hit into three double plays, stranded eight base runners and had a man thrown out at the plate and one stealing.
The series concludes at 1 p.m. Sunday. The Tigers are 6-0 on Sundays this season, and will send junior Pete Sansone (4-0) to the mound to face Baylor's Steven White (4-1).
