By Jeffrey Cohen | Sports Writer
Baylor softball came up empty at the Mary Nutter Classic, falling to No. 13 Arkansas 8-0 and No. 4 UCLA 6-2 on Saturday at the Field of Dreams Complex in Cathedral City, Calif.
The Bears (7-8) wrapped up the invitational with a 1-4 record, capped by a perfect game from No. 2 Oklahoma on Sunday. Despite the tough weekend, head coach Glenn Moore still feels the Bears are on the right track.
Baylor opened the weekend with a split on Thursday, defeating Nevada 5-4 before falling to No. 15 Nebraska 4-1. The Bears then dropped their only game on Friday to No. 22 Missouri 8-3.
Baylor opened the final day of the invitational against the 13th-ranked Razorbacks. Arkansas started the game clicking on offense, scoring two runs in the first inning and six in the second. Senior first baseman Bri Ellis, coming off of D1 Softball National Player of the Week honors, led the offense with a three-run home run in the second inning to give the Razorbacks a seven-run advantage. Arkansas tacked on one more run and would not score the rest of the game, sealing an 8-0 run-rule victory after five frames.
Baylor’s offense struggled, going hitless until the top of the fifth, when senior third baseman Emry McDonough delivered a pinch-hit single—the Bears’ only hit of the game.
Senior right-handed pitcher Dariana Orme (2-2) took the loss, allowing six runs on five hits and three walks in just one inning. Senior left-hander Lillie Walker finished the game, surrendering two runs over three frames.
Playing back-to-back, Baylor followed up the loss shortly after against No. 4 UCLA (13-1). Both offenses struggled in the early innings before UCLA broke through with the first runs scored in the bottom of the third. The Bears responded with an RBI single from sophomore first baseman Abi Flores in the top of the fourth, cutting the deficit to 2-1.
UCLA responded with a four-run fifth inning to take control. Senior designated player Shaylon Govan launched a two-out home run in the sixth, but Baylor couldn’t close the gap in the 6-2 loss.
Freshman right-handed pitcher Lexie Warncke (3-1) took her first collegiate loss, allowing four runs on five hits in four innings pitched. Walker relieved Warncke and gave up two runs off two hits in one inning of work, and Orme closed out the day for the Bears with one scoreless inning in the circle.
Baylor will be back in action hosting the Baylor Invitational on Friday with a doubleheader against North Texas and California Baptist at Getterman Stadium.
