By Wendell Barnhouse | wendell@big12sports.com
Big12Sports.com Correspondent
FORT WORTH, Texas – If the longest of journeys begin with a single step, then the same proverb applies to a steep hill. Baylor started its climb in the NCAA Fort Worth Regional with its first victory.
After an opening – and sloppy – loss to Arizona knocked the Bears into the loser’s bracket, Baylor faced a win or go home game against Lamar Saturday afternoon. The Bears stay, the Cardinals leave. Timely two-out hitting and a strong start by junior pitcher Jon Ringenberg lifted Baylor to an efficient 6-4 victory.
The Bears have a rematch with Arizona at 2 p.m. Sunday. The Wildcats lost to TCU, the top seed in this regional, 11-5 Saturday night. The loser of Baylor-Arizona is eliminated while the winner will face TCU Sunday night.
“We’re playing twice (Sunday),” said Baylor coach Steve Smith, whose team needs to win its next three games to advance from this regional. “It’s going to be a challenge but we’re as prepared as we can possibly be.”
Senior second baseman Raynor Campbell, who along with his teammates played in 99 degree heat, echoes his coach’s confidence.
“This is my last go round; I’ll play three games (Sunday),” Campbell said. “We’re gonna win our first one and our second one. We’ve got two of our better arms going and we’re gonna be ready to play.”
Baylor (35-23) scored five of its six runs with two outs. Freshman Logan Vick scored the first run after drawing a full-count walk and he doubled home the Bears’ second and third runs with two outs in the fifth. Catcher Greg Glime, who threw out two base stealers, had a run-scoring single with two outs in the sixth.
Ringenberg (5-0) worked 5.2 innings, allowing five hits and one run. His ability to work ahead in the count allowed him to rely on his strengths.
“Lately, I’ve been keeping the ball down and hitting my spots,” he said. “I was focused on spotty my fast ball and using my change up to keep ‘em off balance. It worked for me that they’re aggressive at the plate.”
Smith faced a pitching decision against Lamar. To extend his team’s season, Smith chose Ringenberg, the Bears’ No. 5 starter. A week ago in Oklahoma City in the Phillips 66 Big 12 Baseball Championship, Ringenberg started a meaningless game (Baylor had clinched a spot in the title game) and pitched well. He repeated the performance against the Cardinals.
“We made a decision that would help us get to Monday,” Smith said. “We needed Jon and (reliever Josh Turley to get us some innings and the win. Jon’s performance was really special. So much of this game is about who’s on the mound and how he throws.”
And sometimes so much of baseball comes down to the odd twist. Baylor freshman first baseman Max Muncy was a swining strikeout victim in his first three at bats. In the top of the eighth Baylor had runners at second and third with two outs. Muncy fell behind in the count one-and-two but then grounded a two-run single up the middle.
When Lamar catcher Joey Latulippe launched a three-run homer off Turley in the ninth, Muncy’s only bat-ball contact of the day was the difference in a victory and a tie game.
“That’s one of the frustrating and cool things about baseball,” said Smith, who didn’t think his team played that well. “In their dugout, a guy they’ve struck out three times gets a two-strike hit for two runs. In our dugout, it’s ‘What a bounce-back at bat.’”
Freshman Brooks Pinckard got his 11th save, getting two outs on five pitches after Latulippe’s dinger. He should be fresh if needed Sunday. Starting pitchers Willie Kempf and Craig Fritsch are rested while Shawn Tolleson worked 3.2 innings in Friday’s loss.
The next step of the climb awaits.