SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. -- Baylor unleashed a season-high 18-hit offensive attack and overcame a 4-1 deficit to beat Cal Poly 8-6 in the middle game of a three-game non-conference series on a soggy Saturday afternoon inside Baggett Stadium.
Center fielder Jared McKenzie singled four times to lift his average to .400 and third baseman Esteban Cardoza-Oquendo added two singles and a double for the Bears, who evened the series against the Mustangs at a game apiece and improved to 9-5 for the season.
Cal Poly (5-10) produced a 10-hit attack for the second straight night and grabbed a 4-1 lead on
Bradlee Beesley's three-run double in the fourth inning.
But Baylor answered with four runs in the sixth and added single runs in each of the final three innings to earn the victory.
Both starters were not involved in the decision as Cal Poly junior southpaw
Andrew Alvarez allowed five runs and nine hits over 5 2/3 innings and Baylor's Evan Godwin gave up four runs and seven hits in 3 2/3 frames.
Designated hitter
Blake Wagenseller (pictured above) was 3-for-3 at the plate, including a run-scoring triple in the sixth inning which tied the game at 5-5. Shortstop
Nick Marinconz added two singles.
Baylor erased the three-run sixth-inning deficit with a run-scoring balk, , an RBI double by Cardoza-Oquendo, a run-scoring single by McKenzie to tie the game and an RBI single by Nick Loftin to break the 4-4 deadlock.
Cal Poly broke the tie on Wagenseller's triple into the right-field corner in the bottom of the sixth, but an RBI single by Cardoza-Oquendo with two outs in the seventh gave Baylor the lead for good.
The win went to Jimmy Winston (1-1), the second of five Baylor pitchers, while sophomore right-hander
Ryan Jameson (0-2), who gave up the tie-breaking run in the seventh, suffered the loss.
Rubber game of the series will be played Sunday at 1 o'clock with Cal Poly freshman right-hander
Drew Thorpe (1-0, 1.69 ERA) to face Baylor senior righty Hayden Kettler (2-1, 3.00 ERA).
