By Nathan Keil | Sports Writer
After dropping two of three on the road at Oklahoma over the weekend, No. 13 Baylor softball quickly moved on, knocking off Lamar 4-1 Tuesday night in its final mid-week game of the season.
Baylor finished 9-1 on the season in midweek games with its lone loss coming in a 1-0 defeat to Texas State on April 12.
Sophomore pitcher Gia Rodoni (13-1) earned the victory in the circle for the Lady Bears. She pitched the first four innings, allowing one run on four hits with three walks and four strikeouts.
Senior pitcher Kelsee Selman pitched the final three scoreless frames, allowing two hits, a walk and striking out two while earning her fifth save of the season.
Baylor head coach Glenn Moore said he was not surprised that his team was in a battle Tuesday night.
“It’s always a fight with Lamar, and that’s good for us,” Moore said. “We didn’t play with the energy we need to have this weekend, but we did the little things, and that usually is the difference between winning and losing the midweeks.”
At the plate for the Lady Bears, it was freshman outfielder Maddsion Kettler and junior infielder Shelby Friudenberg leading the way. Kettler finished three for three at the plate, drove in one run and scored a run herself.
After Lamar tied the game 1-1 in the third, it was Friudenberg’s home run to right center that put Baylor out in front for good.
Baylor added two runs in the sixth, one on junior infielder Caitlin Charlton’s single to left center and the other on a groundout from junior catcher Sydney Christensen.
Senior infielder Lindsey Cargill, who saw her program record 22-game hitting streak come to an end in Sunday’s 6-0 loss to Oklahoma, started a new one when she singled and stole second in the seventh inning.
This was the second time these two teams had met with Baylor taking a 5-3 decision in the Getterman Classic on Feb. 18.
Baylor will now return home for a huge weekend series with Oklahoma State, who sits tied with Oklahoma atop the Big 12 standings with an 11-1 conference record.
The Lady Bears still have a chance to claim the Big 12 regular season if they win their final two series against Oklahoma State and Texas. Baylor will also need some help from Oklahoma State next weekend against Oklahoma.
Baylor is 21-1 on the season at Getterman Stadium. The first game against Oklahoma State will be at 6:30 p.m. Friday.
