WACO, Texas — Shaver Hansen, Brooks Kimmey and Landis Ware spearheaded a 14-hit attack with three hits each as No. 20 Baylor defeated Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 11-8 in midweek action
Wednesday afternoon at Baylor Ballpark. The Bears (15-7) improved to 12-2 at home this season.
TAMU-CC (5-18) made things interesting in the ninth, scoring four runs on two hits, two walks, a hit batsman and a Baylor error. The Islanders had the bases loaded with one out, but Justin Greiner lined into a game-ending double play.
For the second consecutive game, Baylor scored in six of eight innings. After the Islanders got a run on three hits in the top of the first, Aaron Miller gave the Bears the lead with a two-out, two-run single in the bottom of the inning. That lead was short-lived, though, as the Islanders again scored two runs on three hits in the top of the second.
That drove Baylor starter Wade Mackey from the game. Mace Thurman relieved Mackey and held TAMU-CC scoreless over 4.1 innings for the win. Thurman (2-0) scattered five hits and two walks with a career-high six strikeouts.
Baylor pushed its lead to 10-2 with two runs in the third, two in the fourth, two in the sixth and two in the seventh. The Islanders scored a pair of runs in the top of the eighth, and the Bears answered with a solo spot in the bottom of the inning.
Andrew Longoria (0-1), the second of seven Islander pitchers on the day, took the loss; he allowed two runs on three hits over one-third of an inning.
Hansen finished 3-for-5 with a double and a home run. Kimmey was 3-for-5 with a double and three RBI, and Ware wrapped two singles and a triple. Miller finished 2-for-4 with a double and three RBI. Beamer Weems tied his career high with four walks.
Trey Hernandez was 5-for-5 for the Islanders, who had 17 hits on the day.
Baylor returns to action this weekend, traveling to Norman , Okla. , for a three-game Big 12 Conference series at Oklahoma . The Bears and the Sooners meet Friday at 6:35 p.m. CDT, Saturday at 2 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m.
NOTES: Baylor leads the all-time series 5-0. This was the teams’ first meeting since April 14, 2002. … Weems extended his hitting streak to three games.
