University of Missouri
Baylor
Weiss Powers Missouri Past Baylor, 7-6
3/23/2002 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 23, 2002
COLUMBIA, Mo. - Saturday's Big 12 Conference game between Misssouri and Baylor at Taylor Stadium/Simmons Field could have been called the Mick Weiss show.
Weiss, a senior first baseman for Missouri, hit two home runs, hit a sacrifice fly and scored the game-winning run in the eighth inning to give Missouri a 7-6 win over the eighth-ranked Bears. Weiss also recorded the game's final out as the Tigers turned a 5-4-3 double play to end the game.
Missouri scored two runs in the second inning when Weiss hit a two-run homer over the right-center field wall to score him and Cody Ehlers, who led off the inning with a walk. In the fourth inning, MU used the same approach it used in the second inning to score a pair of runs. Ehlers led off the inning with a walk before Weiss hit a one-out, two-run home to right-center.
Baylor scored one run in the fifth inning by taking advantage of three hits and a stolen base. The Tigers answered Baylor's outburst by plating two runs in their half of the fifth. With one out, Jody Roughton walked, Ehlers and Lee Laskowski singled to load the bases and chase BU starting pitcher Jared Theodorakos. Weiss hit a sacrifice fly to score Roughton while Luke Cassis' single scored Ehlers to make it 6-1.
Baylor's Michael Griffin hit a two-run home run in the sixth inning to make it 6-3. The Bears added a run in the seventh and a pair of runs in the eighth to tie the game, 6-6.
Missouri took the lead in the eighth. With one out, Weiss walked, Cassis singled and Brent Lacy walked to load the bases. Tony Vitello reached on a fielder's choice, scoring Weiss and giving the Tigers a 7-6 lead.
For the second-straight game, Travis Wendte closed the door to pick up the save and give the Tigers the win. Aaron Paterson picked up the win in relief.
Justin James, the Tigers' starting pitcher, struck out a career-high seven batters in six innings but did not figure into the decision.
Weiss was the last Tiger to hit two home runs in a game, hitting two against Iowa State on April 22, 2001. Weiss becomes the first Tiger this season to drive in five runs in a game. Jayce Tingler was the last Tiger to do so, against Loyola Marymount on Feb. 10, 2001.
The third and final game of the three-game Big 12 series will be Sunday at 1 p.m.
