Baylor Softball Drops Two Games Late, Loses Weekend Series vs. Oklahoma State 2-1
Game 1 Rundown
The Bears and Cowgirls battled in a pitchers’ duel for most of the game, without a single run coming across until the fifth inning.
Aliyah Binford pitched lights-out in the contest, allowing a hit in the top of the first but picking up two strikeouts to keep OSU off the board. Binford followed with a 1-2-3 top of the second before allowing a second hit in the third inning but striking out three more on the way.
Baylor’s Taylor Strain singled to lead off the bottom of the first but was ultimately called out after a review said she left early, erasing an infield single from Emily Hott as well. With two outs and no one on, Shaylon Govan walked, but that would be it for the Bears in the first.
Struggling to find an offensive rhythm against Oklahoma State’s Lexi Kilfoyl, the Bears didn’t record their second hit until the bottom of the fourth when Sydney Collazos singled to center field.
After sitting the Cowgirls down in order again in the top of the fifth, Baylor was able to bring home the first run of the game in the bottom half of the inning.
After Oklahoma State made some defensive changes in the outfield, Ana Watson popped up to left field, but an error found her standing on second base with no one out. The Bears then capitalized when Abi Flores hit a bad-hop single past the second baseman to drive in Watson for an unearned run. With the 1-0 lead, Binford reached on a fielder’s choice, but that would be all for the Bears in the fifth inning.
OSU tried to threaten in the top of the sixth, but a double play on a sacrifice bunt quickly cleared the bases and stifled the Cowgirls’ threat.
Collazos walked in the sixth but that would be the last baserunner for the Bears until extra innings were needed.
After a leadoff walk in the top of the seventh, a sacrifice bunt moved the runner over before another walk had two on for the Cowgirls with only one out. The Bears then tried to turn two on a groundout to second base, but the runner at first was called safe on a fielder’s choice and the runner on second came home to score to tie the game 1-1.
Heading to extras after a quiet bottom of the seventh for the Bears, Binford returned to the circle to get the leadoff strikeout. But after the next batter walked, Oklahoma State’s Claire Timm hit a homer over the wall in right field to give OSU the 3-1 lead. The Cowgirls’ last run came around to score after a throwing error and a single to left field that gave OSU the 4-1 advantage.
With Baylor down to its last chance, Strain beat out an infield single in the eighth, but OSU ended the Bears’ comeback by turning a game-ending double play.
Game 2 Rundown
RyLee Crandall dominated in the circle tonight, only allowing one hit and otherwise pitching a perfect game. The sophomore pitcher effectively retired the Cowgirls in order in six of their seven innings, only allowing a single up the middle in the top of the fifth.
The Bears had their first baserunner of the day in the bottom of the first when Shaylon Govan was walked for the 14th time this season, but the Bears wouldn’t have anyone come around to score.
Baylor threatened again in the second, when Ana Watson led off the inning getting hit by a pitch, followed by Abi Flores being issued a four-pitch walk, but after moving into scoring position on a groundout, the Cowgirls worked out of the threat.
Sydney Collazos was walked to lead off the bottom of the fourth, but Baylor wouldn’t find its first hit of the day until Presleigh Pilon singled up the middle in the bottom of the fifth and stole second to add a little spark to the Baylor offense.
BU started off strong in the bottom of the fifth when Govan drew a leadoff walk and pinch-runner Caroline Rowatt moved to third on a bad-hop single to shortstop off the bat of Watson. With runners on the corners, Watson stole second before Flores reached on a fielder’s choice which allowed the runner to slide into home safely. With one run across and a runner on third, a sacrifice fly from Kaci West plated the Bears’ second run and gave BU the 2-0 advantage.
Doing what they did all game, the Baylor defense was on-lock in the bottom of the seventh, forcing three straight groundouts to secure the series-tying victory.
Game 3 Rundown
Baylor started out the game strong on Sunday afternoon, working five scoreless innings against the Cowgirls with Aliyah Binford in the circle.
After a 1-2-3 top of the first, Taylor Strain led off the bottom of the inning with an infield single but was thrown out trying to steal second. With two outs, Shaylon Govan singled, but that would be all for the Bears in the first.
With one out in the bottom of the second, Abi Flores walked and Kaci West reached on an error but the two runners would never advance in the second.
Continuing her hot streak, Strain opened up the bottom of the third with a double to right-center field before Govan was walked to put two on with one out. Ana Watson then roped a single to third base which bounced over the bag to bring home Strain for the Bears’ first run of the game.
After allowing the Cowgirls their first hit of the game in the top of the fourth, Binford recorded an inning-ending strikeout to end the threat.
Giving the Bears the 2-0 lead in the bottom of the fifth, Govan blasted a solo shot over the wall in right-center to double the Bears’ lead.
The Cowgrls brought a run home in the top of the sixth to come within a run, but after Sydney Collazos picked a runner off at third base, a ground out ended the scoring threat.
Flores singled in the bottom half of the sixth, but OSU was able to capitalize on a couple timely hits and groundouts, to plate two runs in the top of the seventh and take the 3-2 victory.
Quotes:
Shaylon Govan on the outlook for the team …
“It just shows this team has everything that we need to be a top team in the country. He just made sure to tell us to not hang our heads and keep working hard and keep grinding and get back to where we need to be.”
Head Coach Glenn Moore on the game …
“Yeah, you're right. We played well all weekend. I'm very proud of the way the girls played. Played well enough, we could easily be a 3-0 team. Just extremely proud. I know the team that walked off that Oklahoma State bus on Friday has a lot more respect for us now that we showed up and played three games, and I’m very proud of the fact that they fought them.”