Feb. 28, 2004

Box Score

WACO, Texas- The No. 16-ranked Arizona baseball team won its three-games series against No. 15 Baylor two games to one after splitting a double header with Bears at Baylor Ballpark on Saturday. The Wildcats dropped the opening game of the double dip, 10-2, but rallied to score three runs late to take the series finale, 5-3.

The win improved the Wildcats to 7-5-1 for the season and to 4-3 against teams ranked in the top 25. Baylor dropped to 4-6 after the split, having lost five of its last six games.

Game II

Paced by a pair of RBI singles by Brad Boyer and Pat Reilly, Arizona scored a run in the eighth and two in the ninth of the nightcap to steal the win and the series.

Trailing 3-2 heading into the top of the eighth, the Wildcats tied the score on an infield single by sophomore Trevor Crowe and a pair of Baylor errors on the play.

With two out and freshman Jason Donald on second, Crowe's hard hit ground ball careened off the chest of BU first baseman Jared Clements for a single and bounced towards the line. After gathering the ball, Clements' lob to pitcher Zane Carlson covering at first hit Crowe for a throwing error and rolled to second baseman Drew Sutton.

Donald, who had advanced to third on the hit, headed for home on Clements' misguided throw and tied the game after Sutton threw the ball over the head of catcher Tyler Bullock for the second error on the play.

Donald had reached base after leading off the inning getting hit by a pitch from Baylor reliever Cory VanAllen.

The Wildcats took the lead in the ninth off of closer Carlson, BU's all-time saves leader, on Boyer's run-scoring single through the right side of the infield that scored Jeff Van Houten and added an insurance run on Reilly's RBI single up the middle two batters later.

Junior Derek Rodriguez worked a perfect ninth inning to pick up his third save of the season and preserve the victory for freshman Mark Melancon.

Melancon improved to 3-1 on the year with three hitless innings in relief of starter Kevin Guyette.

Game I

In the first game of the day the Bears pulled away from the Wildcats with a six-run fifth inning to snap a four-game losing streak. BU shortstop Kyle Reynolds, who was hitless for the season entering the game, broke out with a 4 for 5, two-RBI effort in the victory.

UA's Luis Cortez (1-2) was charged with the loss after giving up five runs on five hits in 4 1/3 innings of work. Baylor's Trey Taylor (2-1) picked up the win after limiting the Wildcats to two runs, one earned, on five hits in 6 2/3 innings.

The Wildcats will return home next weekend to face Sacramento State in a three game series on Kindall Field at Sancet Stadium. First pitch for the series opener on Friday is scheduled for 3 pm MST.