By Nathan Keil | Sports Editor
Baylor softball (33-14, 10-6) picked up its second straight conference sweep over the weekend. The Lady Bears picked up a 7-1 win on Friday, 4-3 win on Saturday and a 9-0 five inning win on Sunday to sweep Iowa State in Ames, Iowa.
Junior Gia Rodoni (20-9) picked up two wins and a save in the series.
On Friday, Baylor pounded out 14 hits en route to a 7-1 win over the Cyclones.
Rodoni went the distance in the circle, allowing one run on six hits with one walk and nine strikeouts to get the win. Her one blemish was a solo home run to sophomore shortstop Sami Williams in the third inning, her 11th of the season.
Following the home run, Baylor responded with four runs in the fourth, two in the fifth and one in the sixth to put the game away.
The rally started with a solo shot from senior first baseman Shelby Friudenberg that tied the game at one. Sophomore shortstop Taylor Ellis put the Lady Bears in front with an RBI double, freshman catcher Hannah Thompson added an RBI single and Ellis scored on a Cyclones’ error.
In the fifth, sophomore second baseman Nicky Dawson hit a two-run single to left and Baylor added one more in the sixth on an RBI groundout from sophomore third baseman Goose McGlaun.
Rodoni worked around a hit batter and a two-out single to close the door on the Cyclones.
On Saturday, junior Regan Green (10-4) picked up the win, tossing 4 2/3, allowing three runs on six hits, with one walk and three strikeouts. Rodoni then entered the game, throwing the final 2 1/3 to earn the save.
The Lady Bears scored all four runs in the first inning. Senior outfielder Jessie Scroggins reached on a bunt single, junior outfielder Kyla Walker then reached on an infield single to put two ducks on the pond. Friudenberg put Baylor in front 1-0 win an RBI single.
It was McGlaun’s three-run bomb to straight away centerfield that put the Lady Bears in front 4-0.
Iowa State cut the deficit to just one with a three-home run in the bottom of the third inning off the bat of senior third baseman Nychole Antillon.
The Cyclones put runners on in each of the final three innings, but were unable to come up with the big hit against Rodoni, as Baylor claimed the series with the 4-3 victory.
On Sunday, it was Rodoni again going the distance in a run-ruled five-inning game. Rodoni allowed just two hits, a pair of singles in the third inning, did not walk a batter and struck out four.
Offensively, it was Scroggins and Walker leading the way as each had three hits and scored twice. Ellis had a pair of hits, scored twice and drove in a pair of runs and Friudenberg had two hits and drove in four runs for Baylor.
Friudenberg put Baylor on top 2-0 with a two-run single in the top of the first. In the second, Ellis drilled an RBI single, Friudenberg drew an RBI walk and McGlaun hit a sac fly to score a third run. An error by the Cyclones allowed a fourth run in as Baylor led 6-0 after two innings.
In the third, sophomore outfielder Maddison Kettler, who had two hits in the game, brought in a run with an RBI single. Friudenberg later added an infield RBI single putting Baylor up 9-0.
Baylor will not play a midweek game, but will host Texas for a two game series beginning 6:30 p.m. Saturday at Getterman Stadium.
