By Foster Nicholas | Sports Editor
The beginning of head coach Glenn Moore’s 25th year at the helm started with fireworks as No. 19 Baylor softball’s five-run bottom of the third led to a 10-2 win over Abilene Christian in the season opener Thursday as part of the Aggie Classic at Davis Diamond in College Station.
After appearing in just three games in 2024 due to nagging injuries, senior right-handed pitcher Dariana Orme (1-0) picked up the win. Orme fired two scoreless innings to start the season, allowing just one hit and delivering a 1-2-3 top of the first.
The Bears opened the scoring in the bottom half of the first when junior center fielder Brooklyn Carter led off the inning with a single. The Washington transfer advanced to second on an error and swiped third minutes later. Carter went on to score on an RBI groundout from sophomore first baseman Abi Flores. The green and gold plated their second run of the inning when freshman left fielder Karynton Dawson rifled a single up the middle to score senior third baseman Turiya Coleman, who walked earlier in the frame.
In their Baylor debuts, Carter finished the day 1-for-3 at the plate with two runs scored; Coleman went 1-for-1 with two runs batted in and a run scored, and Dawson went 1-for-2 with a run and a run batted in. Senior catcher Carson Frier, also making her debut in the green and gold after transferring from UCF, was one of two Bears with a multi-hit game, going 2-for-3 at the dish. She was joined by senior right fielder Ashlyn Wachtendorf, who was a perfect 2-for-2 with a pair of RBI.
Frier delivered Baylor’s only extra-base hit in the bottom of the second and was brought home by a Coleman single with the bases loaded. However, the Bears would strand three runners and the Wildcats cut the lead to 3-2 in the top of the third thanks to a fielding error and a shallow single.
Looking for breathing room, Baylor plated five runs in the bottom of the third as 10 batters stepped up to the plate. Two walks and two singles brought home a run and loaded the bases before a fielding error, two hit-by-pitches and a sac fly added the final four runs. Watchendorf plated the final two runs of the game with a single in the bottom of the fourth inning, setting up a run rule in the fifth.
Redshirt freshman right-handed pitcher Lexie Warncke ate up the middle two innings, allowing ACU’s only two runs in the third inning. Although she allowed two hits and two walks, Warncke bounced back and delivered a scoreless top of the fourth with a strikeout. Freshman right-handed pitched Sadie Ross fired the final frame for the Bears and picked up her first career strikeout en route to Baylor’s 10-2 season opener victory.
The Bears will keep rolling at the Aggic Classic Friday, facing Purdue at 4:30 p.m. before taking on No. 8 Texas A&M at 7 p.m. at Davis Diamond.
