Baylor 7, Oklahoma 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ Baylor held off another late rally by Oklahoma to advance to the Big 12 Conference baseball tournament championship game with a 7-6 win on Saturday. <br/><br/>Sixth-seeded Baylor (34-24)

Sunday, May 27th 2007, 2:25 pm

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ Baylor held off another late rally by Oklahoma to advance to the Big 12 Conference baseball tournament championship game with a 7-6 win on Saturday.

Sixth-seeded Baylor (34-24) will play 5th-seeded Texas A&M (43-16) on Sunday for the tournament title and an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.

In a matchup between two teams unbeaten in the league tournament and hoping to burnish their NCAA tournament credentials, the Bears raced to a 7-0 lead by the 4th inning, but Oklahoma (34-24) rallied with 6 runs in the final 4 innings.

The Sooners _ who scored 5 runs in the bottom of the 9th one night earlier in a 9-8 win over Oklahoma State _ entered the 9th Saturday trailing 7-4, but loaded the bases before scoring on a walk to Joseph Hughes and when Jarod Freeman was hit by a pitch.

With the bases still loaded, Mike Gosse grounded into a forceout to end the game, giving Baylor's Nick Cassavechia his 11th save of the season.

Baylor starter Kendal Volz (6-2) allowed 7 hits and 2 runs while striking out 13 batters in 7 innings.

Baylor catcher Matt Czimskey homered for the 3rd straight game after entering the tournament having hit five home runs all season. He finished 2-2 and was one of three Bears to drive in 2 runs, along with Beamer Weems and Tim Jackson.

Hughes went 2-4 with 2 RBIs for Oklahoma. Oklahoma starter Ryan Mottern (3-5) didn't make it out of the 1st inning, allowing 2 hits and walking 3 batters while only recording 1 out. The Sooners eventually used six pitchers.