By Carson Vercoe | Sports Writer
After a defensive first thirty minutes, which saw No. 22 Baylor’s defense get put on its heels as the offense struggled, junior defender Sydney Miller made her run to the LSU penalty box down the left side.
She placed a cross right to freshman forward Grace White’s head, lobbing it over the Tigers’ goalkeeper to give No. 22 Baylor a 1-0 lead in the 34th minute.
The Bears (5-1-0) continued to dominate on defense against the LSU (1-5-1) attack as they shut out the Tigers in a 2-0 win.
The Bears looked to pick up their third-straight win of the season after beating Pepperdine 3-1 on Sunday.
The Bears and Tigers opened the game in a defensive battle as both teams struggled to put points on the board.
LSU was only able to generate three shots in the first 30 minutes, while Baylor didn’t record their first shot until the 27th minute of the game.
Fifth-year goalkeeper Azul Alvarez played a big role for Baylor out of the gate, blocking two of LSU’s shots to keep the game even.
The Bears caught a break on offense after a foul from LSU forward Berglind Hylnsdottir gave them a free kick. Sophomore midfielder Olivia Hess lined up for the kick and sent a great ball into the box, but Baylor missed an opportunity to go ahead in the 33rd minute.
Both teams kept the offensive attack up after White’s goal, combining for three shots in 10 minutes as they headed into halftime.
Both squads came out of the half right where they left off, with the offenses picking up the pace.
Senior midfielder Aryanna Jimison led the charge for the Bears, putting up two shots in the early stages of the second half but was unable to connect.
The Tigers responded with two shots of their own along with a pair of corner kicks, but once again Alvarez was in position to keep the Bears up one.
Baylor found itself in a great spot after LSU struggled to get back on defense on a breakaway, leaving senior forward Lauren Omholt one-on-one with the goalie. She slid a shot right past the goalie to extend the Bears’ lead. However, officials reviewed the play and overturned it to offside, leaving Baylor’s advantage at one.
The Tigers got their chance to make the score even when a yellow card was given to Miller, along with a free kick at the top of the box. LSU’s Alexia Hansen sent the ball close to the opposing goal, but Baylor’s defense held firm and kept its lead.
The Bears expanded their lead to two in the 78th minute after a cross to senior forward Kate Runyon bounced off her to senior forward Theresa McCullogh, who put it into the bottom corner of the net.
Baylor’s defense held for the rest of the second half as it went on to win 2-0, securing their third straight win and season sweep of the SEC.
The Bears will look to pick up their fourth straight win as they return to Waco to face Marquette at 7 p.m. Thursday at Betty Lou Mays Field.
