By Carson Vercoe | Sports Intern
After splitting a doubleheader Friday night, Baylor softball was walked off in a 5-4 loss to Kansas, dropping a huge weekend series.
The loss marks the team’s third consecutive Big 12 series loss and drops the Bears (24-18, 7-8 Big 12) back to sixth place in the Big 12 standings.
The Bears and the Jayhawks (29-12, 10-5 Big 12) got runners on early in the first inning, looking to get an early run, but both Baylor sophomore pitcher Cambree Creager and Kansas pitcher Kaelee Washington were able to get out of the inning scoreless.
In the next inning, neither pitcher would have the same luck.
Freshman third baseman Kaygen Marshall stepped into the batter’s box to lead off the inning. With a 1-1 count, Marshall drove a deep fly ball over the center-field wall, giving the Bears a 1-0 lead.
The Bears continued to feed off that, after a single and a stolen base from freshman left fielder Gianna Gusman gave them a runner on second. Senior center fielder Brooklyn Carter stepped into the box and delivered a clutch two-out RBI single, giving the Bears a two-run frame.
The Jayhawks responded quickly, however, with two long balls of their own. Solo home runs from shortstop Hailey Cripe and left fielder Ava Wallace knotted the score up at two.
The Bears took that lead right back in the top of the third after two singles gave the Bears runners on second and third. Marshall would deliver a single, giving the Bears a one-run lead and picking up her second RBI of the day.
Over the next two innings, the Jayhawks threatened with runners on the basepaths, but sophomore pitcher Peyton Tanner settled in, giving the Bears two innings of scoreless baseball.
However, in an eerily similar fifth inning to their loss against UT Arlington on Wednesday, the Bears couldn’t hold their lead against the Jayhawks for much longer.
The Jayhawks started the inning with a single and a walk with no outs. With two runners on, second baseman Campbell Bagshaw sent a towering fly ball in the direction of the sun. Sophomore second baseman Faith Piper had trouble seeing the ball, committing an error and giving the Jayhawks a run.
The Jayhawks were able to scratch another run in from crafty baserunning when a rundown went sideways, allowing them to score from third.
After surrendering their lead, the Bears needed to respond quickly. Averie Waddell answered the call. The sophomore catcher turned on a 3-2 fastball and sent it over the left-field wall, tying the game up 4-4.
But in the bottom of the seventh, things would not go the Bears’ way.
After two walks gave the Jayhawks runners on first and second, the Bears were forced to make a pitching change, giving the ball to junior pitcher Lexie Warncke. On the second pitch Warncke threw, Cripe lined a ball to center field that seemed like the game-winning hit — until Carter threw a one-hopper straight to the catcher to save the game.
However, in the next at-bat, pinch-hitter September Flanagan landed a weak fly ball between Piper and sophomore right fielder Sa’Mya Jones, scoring the game-winning run and giving the Jayhawks a 5-4 win.
The Bears will return home to face No. 13 Texas A&M (28-12, 9-4 SEC) at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at Getterman Stadium. That game will be streamed on ESPN+.
