The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
Baylor
Kyle Russell hits two homers as Baseball completes sweep of Baylor, 8-3
03.18.2007 | Baseball
WACO, Texas -- Kyle Russell hit two home runs in a game for the fourth time on the season powering No. 10 Texas to an 8-3 win over Baylor in Big 12 baseball action Sunday afternoon at Baylor Ballpark.
Russell, who had four home runs in the three-game series with Baylor, hit is first home run as part of a three-run rally in the fourth inning. Chance Wheeless led off the frame with a double down the rightfield line. With one out, Bradley Suttle also doubled down the rightfield line to plate Wheeless before Russell deposited his tater over the fence in left centerfield driving in two runs and staking Texas to a 3-0 lead.
Texas (19-7, 3-0 Big 12) tacked on another run in the fifth inning when Wheeless plated Travis Tucker with a triple off the rightfield wall.
Baylor (12-10, 0-3 Big 12) cut the lead to 4-1 in the bottom of the fifth when Chase Gerdes hit a solo home run over the rightfield wall.
Russell delivered his second homer with a shot just right of the batter's eye in centerfield, inflating the UT cushion to 5-1.
Baylor laced together four consecutive hits to start the sixth inning. Aaron Miller, Tim Jackson and Dustin Dickerson all singled off of UT reliever Keith Shinaberry to start the inning. Pat McCrory relieved Shinaberry and allowed an RBI single by Seth Hammock, cutting the lead to 5-2. McCrory induced a short fly ball by Gerdes to get the first out of the inning. The Longhorns appeared to be out of the inning without further damage when Matt Sodolak hit a soft ball back to McCrory, but his throw to home pulled catcher Preston Clark off home plate and UT was unable to convert the 1-2-3 double play. Baylor's Raynor Campbell popped up to second base to end the inning and Texas was nursing a 5-3 advantage.
Texas blew the game open with three runs in the eighth inning, including RBI singles by Suttle and Josh Prince.
Joseph Krebs (4-0) earned the victory in his first Division I start. He allowed one run on five hits and one walk while striking out two over five innings. McCrory scattered two runs and one walk over two shutout innings. Randy Boone shut the door with two scoreless innings, allowing one hit while striking out one.
Randall Linebaugh (2-2) was saddled with the loss for Baylor. He allowed five runs, four earned on six hits and one walk while striking out three Longhorns over seven innings.
Russell went 2-for-3 with two home runs, three runs and three RBI. For the weekend, Russell was 5-for-12 (.417) with six runs, four home runs and seven RBI.
Wheeless went 3-for-5 with one double, one triple two runs and one RBI. Suttle went 2-for-4 with one double, two runs and two RBI. It was Suttle's 16th multiple hit game of the season.
Dickerson and Campbell both went 2-for-4 to lead Baylor's offense.
Texas returns to action on Tuesday with a 6:05 p.m. contest against Texas State at UFCU Disch-Falk Field.
