GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Baylor softball (36-24) fell one game short of reaching the Women’s College World Series with a 5-3 loss to No. 4 Florida (51-13) in the series finale of the Gainesville Super Regional Sunday afternoon at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium.
Trailing 5-3 in the seventh inning, the Bears got back-to-back runners aboard with no outs. Later in the frame with the winning run at the plate, first baseman Shaylon Govan (Jr.) lined out to the left field warning track and was mere feet from putting Baylor ahead with a three-run homer.
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With two runners aboard and trailing 5-3 in the seventh inning, 1B Shaylon Govan (Jr.) lined out to the left field warning track.
In their first trip to a Super Regional since 2017, the Bears came up just short despite outhitting Florida, 8-to-6. With runners in scoring position, however, Baylor’s batting order was 1-for-4 and 2-for-13 with runners on.
After an excellent outing in Saturday’s win, head coach Glenn Moore rode the hot hand and elected to put pitcher RyLee Crandall (So.) back in the circle to start Sunday’s winner-take-all contest.
The formidable Gators’ lineup jumped out to an early 4-0 lead off Crandall, highlighted by a two-run homer from the nine-hole hitter and second baseman, Mia Williams (Fr.). The long ball was Williams’ first hit of the NCAA Tournament.
Aliyah Binford (Jr.) entered in place of Crandall and tossed 4.2 hard-fought, one-run innings. In the third, the momentum began to shift into Baylor’s dugout after Binford escaped a bases-loaded, no-out jam unscathed.
The Bears got on the board in the fourth when Binford led off the frame with a single into left field and came around to score on an RBI base knock from catcher Sydney Collazos (Sr.). The following inning, left fielder Emily Hott (Sr.) clobbered a two-run bomb to cut into UF’s lead, 4-3.
In the fifth, Binford faced another bases-loaded, no-out jam. This time, the Gators scraped across an insurance run on an RBI sacrifice fly from third baseman Ariel Kowalewski (Fr.); the game remained in striking distance for Baylor, however.
Final: No. 4 Florida 5, Baylor 3
W: Keagan Rothrock (30-7) L: RyLee Crandall (17-9)
POTG: Aliyah Binford (4.2 IP, R, ER, 2 H, 6 BB, 3 K, 21 BF, 92 pitches)
