Matt Hellman | Lariat Photo Editor
Reporter
The 15th-ranked Baylor softball team won a road game against the UT Arlington Mavericks 5-2 Wednesday at Allan Saxe Field. The win brings the Bears to 26-5 overall. The Mavericks fall to 15-12 on the season.
Senior center fielder Kathy Shelton went 2-3 and scored two runs for the Bears, including the first run of the game in the first inning on a wild pitch. She also had three steals and is now one away from tying Harmony Schwelthelm’s program record of 102.
The starting pitcher was junior lefty Whitney Canion, who pitched three scoreless innings while striking out five. Freshman Heather Stearns (8-2) came into relief and picked up the win while also pitching three innings and striking out four. Senior Courtney Repka pitched a perfect seventh inning to close the game, picking up her second save.
With two outs in the top of the third, the Mavericks’ shortshop was unable to catch a routine pop fly hit by freshman Robin Landrith. This crucial error resulted in two runs for the Bears by Shelton and sophomore right fielder Kaitlyn Thumann, giving the Bears a 3-0 lead.
Junior catcher Clare Hosack hit an RBI double in the fifth inning to bring in freshman center fielder Linsey Hays for a 4-0 lead.
A two-run sixth inning by the Mavericks wasn’t enough to bring UTA back into the game.
In the seventh inning, Thumann hit a solo home run to seal the win for Baylor 5-2.
Thumann is hitting .432 this season. Shelton is hitting .413 and is on a ten-game hitting streak.
Canion has a 1.14 ERA on the season and Repka has an 0.38 ERA.
The Lady Bears are coming off of a 5-1 loss to No. 20 Hawaii this past Saturday in Honolulu. This was in the semifinal round of the Chevron Spring Fling Tournament.
The next few games will be in-conference. The Lady Bears will play the Longhorns on Saturday at Getterman Stadium.
They will then face the Iowa State Cyclones for a three game stretch in Waco at the end of the month, and then play a three-game series against Oklahoma the following week.
They are in third place in the Big 12. Oklahoma is in first place at 27-1 and Texas is in second at 27-4.
