THE LEAD
DBU's comeback efforts were not enough as they fell to No. 14 Baylor, 8-6, on Tuesday night at Baylor Ballpark in Waco, Texas. Austin Listi went 3-for-5 with three RBI and blasted his team-leading sixth homerun of the season as part of a three-run fourth inning.
 
Kyle Hill (3-1) earned the win for the Bears after tossing 2 1/3 innings of relief, allowing just one run on one hit with a pair of strikeouts. Travis Stone (2-2) suffered the loss after giving up the two go-ahead runs during his 2 2/3 inning outing. Troy Montemayor (6) picked up the save with a perfect ninth inning.
 
Baylor jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first, scoring the game's first run on an RBI triple off the bat of Shea Langeliers. After recording a quick out to begin the second, DBU starter Sean Boyle put runners on first and second, prompting coach Dan Heefner to make the first call to his bullpen for Kragen Kechely. Boyle finished his day with 1 1/3 innings of work, allowing four runs on three hits with a pair of strikeouts. Kechely issued walks to the first two batters he faced, allowing the Bears to add a third. Baylor tacked on two more, capping off a three-run inning with an RBI single by Matt Menard. In the top of the fourth inning, DBU cut the lead to 5-3 behind a pair of homeruns, a two-run shot by Austin Listi and a solo-blast from Ray Gaither.
 
After Baylor starter Alex Phillips allowed a pair of base hits in the fifth, Baylor called on Joe Heineman out of the bullpen to close out the inning, failing to do so as he allowed a two-run homerun to Jameson Hannah to tie the ballgame at 5-5. Heineman proceeded to load the bases with a walk of Matt Duce before the Bears went to the bullpen again for Kyle Hill, who struck out Gaither looking to escape the jam. Gavin Fritz began the fifth inning on the mound for the Patriots in relief of Kechely, but walked the first two hitters he faced. Kechely struck out three in 2 2/3 innings and gave up one run on two hits. Travis Stone took over for Fritz, loading the bases on an infield single, but limited the damage to just one run on a sac fly that turned into a 9-2-6 double-play to escape the jam.
 
DBU once again brought the game level in the top of the seventh as Hannah was walked, advanced on a throwing error and scored on a Listi single to left-center to make it 6-6. Baylor responded with another run in the bottom of the seventh after a pair of two-out base hits, the second being a triple off the wall by Aaron Dodson to score Kameron Esthay, who scored on a Davis Wendezel RBI single in the following at-bat. The rally forced Stone out of the game, in favor of Landon Wilson, who forced a groundout to end the inning. With their backs to the wall, the Patriots threatened in the top of the ninth as Hannah reached on an error, advancing 180 feet on a wild pitch and a sac fly. However, DBU was unable to stage another comeback in the final frame.
 
THREE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW
 - Austin Listi's fourth-inning homerun was the first allowed by Alex Phillips in his Baylor career.
 - Tuesday marked the first loss by the Patriots this season when hitting multiple homeruns.
 - DBU went 6-for-14 with two outs and recorded four two-out RBI.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
60 – DBU has scored 60 of their 146 runs this season in the fourth and fifth innings.
72 – The combination of Hannah, Millard, Listi and Duce have recorded a total 72 RBI this season.
2 – The Patriots' last two error-free games have come against the Bears.
 
UP NEXT
DBU heads to the Sunshine State for a three-game series with North Florida, beginning Friday evening at 5 p.m. CT.