By Nathan Keil | Sports Editor
Baylor softball (30-14) split a doubleheader with the University of Houston Tuesday night in Houston.
In game one, Baylor won a thrilling pitcher’s duel 1-0 in nine innings. The Cougars bested the Lady Bears 4-3 in the nightcap.
In the opener, junior Gia Rodoni went the first eight innings to get the win. She scattered three hits and two walks while striking out 10. Junior Regan Green pitched the ninth, allowing one hit to collect the save.
Senior first baseman Shelby Friudenberg’s home run to lead off the ninth was the difference in the game.
Houston sophomore pitcher Trystan Melancon was every bit as good as Rodoni, allowing just six hits and one walk while striking out seven in a complete game.
It wasn’t until the fifth inning that Baylor collected its first hit. Following a walk to senior catcher Carlee Wallace, sophomore second baseman Nicky Dawson singled to left, her first of three hits in the game.
Houston had its opportunities, getting a runner to third in the fifth, having runners on first and second with nobody out in the seventh and finally getting a runner to third in the ninth before a fly out to center field ended the game.
Sophomore third baseman Goose McGlaun and junior outfielder Kyla Walker accounted for the other two Baylor hits.
In game two, McGlaun got the start in the circle for the Lady Bears, but only pitched the opening frame. Green entered in the second and tossed the next five innings, allowing four runs on six hits with just one strikeout in taking the loss.
Her counterpart, junior Savannah Heebner went the distance, allowing three runs on nine hits with four strikeouts.
After a pair of 1-2-3 innings for Baylor at the plate, Houston struck for two runs in the second. The Cougars led off with back-to-back doubles by sophomore infielder Sarah Queen and freshman infielder Aspen Howie to strike for a 1-0 lead.
After a sacrifice bunt, Howie then scored on a sacrifice fly to center for a 2-0 lead.
Then in the fourth, Houston tacked on two more. Green allowed a leadoff walk, who then advanced to second on a bunt, third on a wild pitch and came around to score on a single from sophomore outfielder Lindsey Stewart.
Two batters later, senior outfielder Kaylin Crumpton drilled an RBI double to left, scoring Stewart and giving Houston a 4-0 lead.
Baylor would not go quietly into the night, striking for three runs in the top half of the sixth.
The rally started with three straight singles from senior outfielder Jessie Scroggins, Walker and Friudenberg, resulting in one run. After a groundout advanced the runners, Wallace and Dawson hit consecutive RBI singles to cut the lead to 4-3.
A pair of pop outs ended the threat in the sixth and Heebner worked around a leadoff single to retire the Lady Bears in the seventh.
Baylor returns to the road this weekend when it heads to Ames, Iowa. for a three-game series with the Cyclones beginning at 4 p.m. Friday.
