No. 19 Baylor Softball Defeats ACU in Season Opener, 10-2

COLLEGE STATION, Texas – No. 19 Baylor Softball took down Abilene Christian, 10-2, in run-rule fashion Thursday afternoon at Davis Diamond in game one of the Aggie Classic.

THE RUNDOWN

Baylor got off to a hot start in Thursday afternoons matchup, sitting the ACU Wildcats down in order to start the first inning. Starting pitcher Dariana Orme struck out the first batter of the season, before forcing two groundouts to end the top half of the inning.

The Bears got the scoring started in the bottom half of the first when Brooklyn Carter singled and advanced to second on a fielding error before stealing third to put herself in scoring position. After Turiya Coleman walked, a ground out brought home Carter for the Bears’ first run of the game. After advancing to third on a passed ball, Coleman came home when freshman Karynton Dawson singled up the middle to put the Bears on top, 2-0.

BU allowed the Wildcats a single in the top of the second but that would be all as two fly outs ended the threat.

Carson Frier hit the first extra-base hit of the season in the bottom of the second when she doubled to right center. After an infield single from Ashlyn Wachtendorf, the Bears loaded the bases after a walk was issued to Carter. Bringing another run home, Coleman hit a bases-loaded single up the middle to make it 3-0 Baylor.

Getting a few runs back, ACU scored its first run on a fielding error and its second on a single to bring the game within one run.

Not satisfied with a one-run game, the Bears were able to plate five runs in the bottom of the third to give them the 8-2 lead. Dawson led off the inning with a walk before Amber Toven laid down a bunt before Jensen Vienne hit a sacrifice bunt to put both runners in scoring position. Frier then recorded her second hit of the game, a single to left field that brought home Dawson. Wachtendorf walked to load the bases and Carter reached on a fielding error bringing home the Bears second run of the inning. After back-to-back hit batters brought home two more runs, Abi Flores recorded a sacrifice fly to put the Bears on top, 8-2.

After ACU doubled to lead off the top of the fourth, Lexie Warncke and the Baylor defense shut down the threat retiring the next three batters.

With a leadoff walk to Toven in the bottom half of the fourth, Warncke proved she can play both sides of the game when she singled up the middle to put two on for the Bears. Wachtendorf brought home the last two runs of the game on a single past third base to give Baylor the eight-run advantage.

Getting game one done in just five innings, Sadie Ross struck out the first batter of the fifth before the Bears capitalized with a double play to end the game.

HIGHLIGHTS

• The Bears out-hit the Wildcats, 9-3
• Carson Frier went 2-for-3 at the plate with the Bears’ only extra-base hit
• Ashlyn Wachtendorf went 2-for-2 at the plate with two RBIs and a walk
• Turiya Coleman and Abi Flores both recorded two RBIs
• Brooklyn Carter, Turiya Coleman and Carson Frier made their first starts in the Green and Gold
• Three freshmen got playing time today Karynton Dawson, Faith Piper and Sadie Ross
• Dariana Orme picked up the win in the circle pitching 2.0 innings, allowing no runs and only one hit
• Brooklyn Carter and Ashlyn Wachtendorf both recorded stolen bases
• The Bears turned their first double play of the season
• BU is now 7-0 all-time against ACU

UP NEXT

The Bears will continue play at the Aggie Classic tomorrow, facing Purdue at 4:30 p.m. and then facing No. 8 Texas A&M at 7 p.m. at Davis Diamond.