By DJ Ramirez | Sports Writer
Baylor softball dropped a midweek match to Stephen F. Austin 4-1 Tuesday at Getterman Stadium. After defeating the Jacks in 15 straight contests, it was the first time since 2003 that the Lady Bears lost a game to SFA.
Junior utility player Goose McGlaun pitched six shutout innings, allowing nine hits but holding SFA’s hot offense to one run and threw 64 strikes out of 90 pitches. The Humble native has pitched very little since last season, but has had to step up since the loss of senior ace Gia Rodoni to injury.
Head coach Glenn Moore said that McGlaun’s pitching was the “lone bright spot of the night.”
“She looked good. They struggled with her,” Moore said. “They still hit her harder than we hit them, but at the same time she’s had very few innings and I’m very pleased with what she did tonight.”
Freshman outfielder Lou Gilbert was 1-for-2 with Baylor’s only run of the night and junior outfielder Madi O’Neal went 2-for-3 with two singles. Gilbert said the offense was having a difficult time finding the right timing.
“I think one of the things we were struggling with was just timing the pitcher, which was honestly unacceptable at this level,” Gilbert said. “It’s something that we should be doing and learning back in like middle school. Honestly, like Coach Moore said earlier, it’s an aggressive approach that we’re lacking and until we find the heart and determination inside ourselves, it’s not the coaches’ fault. It’s our fault for not finding it.”
Freshman lefty Madison Lindsey had a rough start for the Lady Bears. SFA got to work scoring four runs on three hits in the first. After a single and an error, Lindsey walked SFA first baseman Margarita Corona to load the bases and also gave up a free base to right fielder Alex Hedspeth to walk in a run.
McGlaun moved from first to the mound to take over for Lindsey but Jacks backstop Lindsey Gregory singled to left center to drive in two and scored on a fielder’s choice hit to third base.
Baylor got on the board in the bottom of the first when junior infielder Taylor Ellis drove in Gilbert through the right side for Baylor’s only RBI of the game.
The Lady Bears had six hits on the night but according to Moore they were missing the aggressiveness needed at the plate.
“Tonight we looked pretty apathetic offensively,” Moore said. “I think it’s a lack of an aggressive approach and it’s a little bit of a lack of an intelligent approach because we’re not in the right timing for the right counts, you know, we’re just kind of out of sync in that regard and not playing good, smart softball.”
Baylor continues conference play in Norman, Okla. this weekend against the Sooners. The Lady Bears are 2-5 in the Big 12 and 15-18 overall. Moore said that if the team can get back to executing the basics of the game, they have a better chance of winning.
“We’re always hoping to win but we’ve got to play fundamental softball,” Moore said. “I sound like a broken record saying that but fundamental softball will give us the best chance to win.”
