By Carson Vercoe | Sports Intern
Baylor softball’s late-inning heroics proved to be the difference in an 11-9 win over Incarnate Word on Tuesday night. The Bears are back in the win column after being swept by No. 13 Arizona this weekend in Tucson.
Baylor (22-12, 5-4 Big 12) looked to pick up a mid-week game over the Cardinals (22-14, 7-5 SLC) before a Big 12 home series against Houston.
The Cardinals got things started quickly in the first inning with a two-out single by third baseman Bryanna Fuentes. Catcher Jaisy Caceres followed that with a line drive to center field that was misplayed by senior outfielder Brooklyn Carter, resulting in an RBI triple. Caceres would go on to score on an error in the same play, giving the Cardinals a two-run frame.
The Cardinals’ lead would not last long, as in the bottom of the second, the Bears’ lineup got things rolling. After a single by junior first baseman Leah Cran and a walk by freshman third baseman Kaygen Marshall, freshman designated player Olivia Buettner hit an RBI single, scoring Cran and leaving runners on first and third. A delayed steal allowed Marshall to steal home, picking up their second run in the frame.
“This team has come from behind all year. I never doubt that they’re able to do that,” head coach Glenn Moore said.
The top of the lineup kept things rolling after loading the bases for senior shortstop Amber Toven. Toven ripped a line drive over the center fielder’s head, giving her a three-RBI double and giving the Bears a five-run second inning.
The Cardinals would not go down quietly, though, loading the bases with no outs. Sophomore pitcher Peyton Tanner was able to get two outs without allowing any runs for the Baylor, but a walk drawn by first baseman Sydney Zenon and a clutch double from Fuentes gave UIW four runs in the inning. The Bears were forced to make a pitching change, brining in junior pitcher Lexie Warncke.
The Cardinals were able to pick up another run in the frame off a costly error by sophomore Faith Piper, giving the Cardinals a 7-5 lead.
The Cardinals continued to extend their lead in the fifth. Second baseman Madison Dorrow launched a solo home run over the center-field wall and Zenon slapped an RBI single to give the Cardinals a 9-5 lead.
“We will pitch well for a while, but we have these innings where we show our youth a little bit,” Moore said.
The Bears matched the Cardinals with a two-run inning of their own after Marshall delivered a two-run home run to deep left field.
The Bears continued their comeback in the sixth with two costly errors made by the Cardinals’ middle infielders, Dorrow and Prisas Quintero, allowing Carter to score. A delayed steal by Toven gave sophomore left fielder Karynton Dawson an opportunity to steal home, tying the game at 9-9.
After Piper doubled to left field, Cran stepped to the plate with a chance to put the Bears ahead. She crushed a home run over the left-field wall, sending Getterman Stadium into a roar and giving the Bears an 11-9 lead.
“We just knew this was the game we had to win, and we were going to do anything to make sure of that,” Cran said. “Just had to come in big for the team.”
In the top of the seventh, clutch pitching by sophomore pitcher Sadie Ross and a leaping catch by sophomore right fielder Sa’Mya Jones gave the Bears an 11-9 win.
The Bears will open a weekend series against Houston (18-21, 1-11 Big 12) at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at Getterman Stadium. All three games will be streamed on ESPN+.
“The series with Houston is vital because we’ve had three losses this past weekend,” said Moore. “While they’re at the bottom of the league right now, they’re putting up a lot of runs on people.”
