By Jeffrey Cohen | Sports Writer
Stringing together hits and defensive miscues by UTSA, Baylor softball’s offense drove in six runs in the first three innings, pushing them past the Roadrunners 6-0 on Wednesday at Getterman Stadium.
Baylor (19-21, 7-8 Big 12) was hot out of the gate against UTSA (15-23, 2-13 AAC), with a single off the bat of junior center fielder Brooklyn Carter (3-for-3) to start the game. Senior second baseman Presleigh Pilon (2-for-3) drove Carter in with a single to take a 1-0 lead through one inning.
“I love being at the top of the lineup just to like start everything off,” Carter said. “Lately, I’ve been batting second, sixth, eighth, but being leadoff is where I feel comfortable, and all you have to do is get the ball and play and run as fast as I can.”
The Bears tacked on in the second when freshman left fielder Karynton Dawson reached on a throwing error. Three straight singles followed, including an RBI from senior right fielder Ashlyn Wachtendorf to make it 2-0.
Senior third baseman Turiya Coleman reached on a fielder’s choice and drove in Wachtendorf, and then freshman right-handed pitcher Lexie Warncke scored on a throwing error. A sacrifice fly from senior designated player Shaylon Govan capped off the four-run second.
“You know, everyone counts,” Carter said. “We always try to go in and say ‘don’t take any team lightly.’ Coming in today, you know scoring first is always good, and playing good [defense] behind Lexie is what we did all game.”
Dawson drove in one more run in the third inning with an RBI single to score Pilon and increase the Baylor lead to 6-0.
The Bears did not reach base for the rest of the game, going down nine consecutive times in the final three innings. They spread out the at-bats throughout the second half of the game, calling four pinch hitters to the plate who went a combined 0-for-4.
“You have a lot of coaches that never put in their bench, and fortunately for us, in this sport, we have the re-entry that gives you the option of being able to put your starters back out there if things start going the wrong direction,” head coach Glenn Moore said. “I rely on that a little bit when I start making decisions, and it gives me the freedom to put some kids out there, and I think it’s one of the best things about softball.”
In the circle, Warncke (6-6) dealt five shutout innings, allowing two hits and one strikeout en route to the win. Freshman right-handed pitcher Sadie Ross closed the door, throwing two no-hit innings to complete the shutout.
“Coming off those rough outings, I think it just makes it easier, and it gives me confidence coming back out there,” Warncke said. “Every time I know the defense is behind me, and even good or bad, they’ve got my back.”
Baylor has won six of its last seven games and is two games under .500. The offense and pitching have stepped up over the stretch, scoring five or more runs in three games to go along with two shutouts. They have outscored opponents 33-19 throughout that span.
“Now, we feel like we’re playing much better ball and things start flowing, but you’ve got to protect that as well,” Moore said. “You’ve got to come to practice every day … we can’t take a day off right now.”
The Bears will be back in action during a three-game series against Abilene Christian beginning at 6:30 p.m. Friday at Getterman Stadium.
