By Jeffrey Cohen | Sports Writer
Following a low-scoring first three innings, Baylor softball’s offense found a spark in the fourth and kept on rolling, scoring eight runs in the final three innings to win its Senior Day contest 8-5 Saturday at Getterman Stadium.
During the final home game of the season, Baylor (25-24, 10-11 Big 12) honored 11 seniors. The class was a diverse group with some being transfers and others remaining with the Bears.
“This is one of my favorite teams I’ve ever had, largely due to the leadership of that senior class, even the ones that are one year here,” head coach Glenn Moore said. “There’s something about this Baylor environment, when you’ve been somewhere else, and you come here, you realize how green the grass is here.”
BYU (30-14, 12-9 Big 12) controlled the first three innings of the game. A two-run home run to center field in the first inning gave the Cougars a 2-0 lead. They followed the home run with three shutout innings without allowing a hit until freshman third baseman Faith Piper singled with one out in the third.
“We’ve had some slow starts lately. But again, no panic,” Moore said. “It’d be nice next week to shift that, where our top two players are putting more pressure on them, getting on base, because our speedsters make a lot of pressure.”
The Baylor offense found a spark at the bottom of the fourth as senior first baseman Shaylon Govan drew a leadoff walk and freshman left fielder Karynton Dawson (2-for-3, 2 RBI, 2 R) lined a one-out single.
Sophomore catcher Abi Flores hit a hard ground ball into right field to drive in Dawson and senior pinch runner Caroline Rowatt to tie the game at 2-2.
“I definitely wanted to pull through for the seniors,” Flores said. “I wanted to do whatever I could to contribute in any way to give them this day. It definitely shows the bite in this team.”
Singles from junior shortstop Amber Toven (2-for-3, 2 RBI) and senior right fielder Ashlyn Wachtendorf loaded the bases with one out, but a fly ball and groundout left the runners stranded.
BYU answered with a one-out double and an RBI single to retake the lead in the top of the fifth.
A leadoff single from junior center fielder Brooklyn Carter and another off Govan’s bat kept the offense rolling in the bottom of the fifth. Senior designated player Turiya Coleman (2-for-4, 2 R, RBI) tied the game again with an RBI single lined into center field. Dawson drove in another runner to give the Bears their first lead of the game at 4-3.
Flores reached on a fielder’s choice that resulted in a missed tag on Coleman at third base to load the bases for Toven. She hit a line drive to right center field to score two more runs and extend the lead to three.
“Through this whole season, we’ve had a lot of fight and a lot of trials and tribulations,” Flores said. “We always pull together in the same direction, and today was special.”
Following the four-run fifth, Govan led off with her third walk of the game — her team-leading 41st walk of the season — and a single off of Coleman’s bat kept the Bears threatening. A wild pitch advanced both runners into scoring position, and a sac fly and RBI groundout extended Baylor’s lead to 8-3.
The Cougars started to claw back in the top of the seventh with two singles to lead off the inning and an RBI double to cut the deficit to four. They tacked on another run from a sacrifice fly to deep left field.
The comeback efforts fell short as the Bears secured an 8-5 victory and the series win.
“I’ve probably panicked a little bit more, unfortunately, than they do because I know how badly we need to win to be considered for the postseason,” Moore said. “I think they do too, but we don’t want to put that pressure on them to that degree. We wanted to be real so that they could be ready to play.”
Senior left-handed pitcher Lillie Walker started the game for Baylor, going one inning and allowing two runs on three hits. Freshman right-hander Sadie Ross (5-6) took over, throwing five innings of three-run softball with nine hits to get the win.
“It’s awesome to have the support of my team behind me,” Ross said. “Whatever I throw, they’re going to get it behind me.”
Walker returned to close out the game in the seventh and recorded three consecutive outs, including a sacrifice fly for her third save of the season — owning all Baylor’s saves this season.
“That game there was what I envisioned, really her closing it out,” Moore said. “I didn’t envision her having to pitch whatever number of complete games she’s pitched … [There hasn’t] been a number one or a number two the whole time, but she’s performed like a number one.”
The Bears return for their final series of the regular season against Iowa State, starting at 4 p.m. Friday at Cyclone Sports Complex in Ames, Iowa.
