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Baylor Softball

Baylor SB caps 5-1 weekend with 7-2 victory over No. 9 Arizona State

March 14, 2021
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TEMPE, Ariz. – Baylor softball got a bit of revenge on Sunday as the Lady Bears downed ninth-ranked Arizona State, 7-2, at Farrington Stadium to wrap up a 5-1 weekend in Arizona.


THURSDAY

Down to its final strike three straight times in the top of the seventh, Baylor continued to fight as the Lady Bears battled with a ninth-ranked Arizona State team known for its offensive power.  BU would go on to plate a pair of runs with two outs in the final frame before ultimately falling to the Sun Devils, 7-4.

Taylor Ellis fought through a six-pitch at-bat and drew the walk to put a runner on for Baylor in the seventh inning with two outs. That brought freshman catcher Zadie LaValley to the plate. A pitch after she demolished a ball that was foul by inches down the right field line, LaValley certainly straightened things out as she crushed her first career home run over the right field wall.

The Lady Bears started the game off strong as Nicky Dawson led things off with a triple to deep left center field. It marked the second time this season (Lou Gilbert vs UT Arlington on Feb. 24) that Baylor led off a game with a triple. Dawson came home shortly after on a wild pitch to give the Lady Bears the lead.

Arizona State tied things up in the bottom of the frame, but Baylor had the answer two innings later.

Emily Hott got things started as she was plunked by a pitch to put a runner on with no outs for the Lady Bears. Dawson then stepped to the plate and doubled to left field to put two runners in scoring position for Goose McGlaun whose sacrifice fly to center field scored Hott.

The Sun Devils would take the lead for good in the bottom of the fourth inning as they plated six runs off four hits.

Arizona State entered Thursday’s contest fifth in the country averaging 9.76 runs scored per game. Of ASU’s 18 games played, Baylor was the fourth opponent to hold the Sun Devils to fewer than eight runs.


FRIDAY

GAME 1 – BAYLOR 3, NIU 2

Facing a 2-2 count as the leadoff hitter in the bottom of the seventh inning with the game all tied up, fifth-year senior Goose McGlaun crushed a solo shot over the right field wall to walk it off for the Lady Bears for a 3-2 victory.

Baylor tied things up in the sixth inning as the hits started to fall for the Lady Bears. Aliyah Binford led things off with a double down the left field line, and Ana Watson followed with a single through the left side.

Maddison Kettler brought the first run home for BU with a single to left field before a big swing by Taylor Ellis tied things up with an RBI single to right field.

NIU jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning as both runs were unearned. For the rest of the game, the Huskies only had three base runners as the Baylor defense locked it down.

Sidney Holman-Mansell pitched the entire game for the Lady Bears and picked up the win to move to 4-0 on the season. Holman-Mansell gave up two unearned runs off four hits with seven strikeouts.

McGlaun and Ana Watson each finished the first game with two hits.

GAME 2 – BAYLOR 12, GCU 1 (5)

Zadie LaValley picked up where she left off the night before as the freshman catcher crushed a two-run bomb in the top of the second inning to give the Lady Bears a lead they’d never relinquish.

The score remained 2-0 in favor of BU until GCU got on the board in the third. But the Baylor offense roared to life an inning later with nine runs off seven hits.

Ana Watson led off the frame with a walk, and LaValley followed that up with a double to right center field. Maddison Kettler then singled to second base and everyone advanced a base off a GCU error.

Nicky Dawson picked up an RBI before Lou Gilbet doubled to center field to score another run for the Lady Bears. Goose McGlaun hit a single, and Aliyah Binford had an RBI single to right field before another error by GCU allowed a run to score.

Watson stepped up to the plate for the second time in the inning and jacked her second career home run over the center field wall to score three more runs for BU. The third-year sophomore delivered again an inning later with an RBI double.

Gia Rodoni picked up the win as she gave up one run off six hits with four strikeouts through four innings of work. Maren Judisch came on in relief in the fifth as GCU was retired in order to end the game.


SATURDAY

GAME 1 – BAYLOR 8, NIU 1

After NIU took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first, Baylor put up a three-spot an inning later to take the lead for good.

Emily Hott and Taylor Ellis each singled to right field to put runners on first and second with two outs for Maddison Kettler who cleared the bases with her double to left field. Kettler scored shortly after when Nicky Dawson singled up the middle.

Baylor added two more runs in the fifth inning. Dawson led things off with a single through the left side, stole second and later scored off an RBI single by Goose McGlaun. Josie Bower then knocked McGlaun home with a single up the middle.

The Lady Bears weren’t done at the plate as they put up three more in the top of the seventh. McGlaun crushed her first triple of the season and scored when Josie Bower singled to right field. Hott singled to put two runners on for Ellis who hit a two RBI single to center field.

Maren Judisch went the entire way for BU in the circle as she gave up one run off five hits with a strikeout.

Baylor’s 16 hits against the Huskies marked the most for BU in a game since hitting 17 against Mississippi Valley State on Feb. 17, 2018.

GAME 2 – BAYLOR 12, GCU 2

The Lady Bears flexed their muscles in the final game of the day with seven of their 13 hits going for extra bases in a 10-run win over the host team.

Aliyah Binford – who was a triple short of hitting for the cycle – got the party started with a two-run home run, her first of the season, in the top of the first inning.

GCU would plate a run in the bottom half of the frame, but Baylor answered with a three-spot in the third inning. Lou Gilbert led things off with a bunt single, and Emily Hott followed with a walk to put two runners on with two outs for Maddison Kettler whose single through the left side loaded the bases.

Taylor Ellis then stepped to the plate and reached base safely off an error by GCU that allowed two runs to score. Shortly after, Kettler stole home to put the Lady Bears up by four.

Again, GCU added a run in the third, but would be held scoreless the rest of the way.

In the top of the fourth, Nicky Dawson hit her fifth triple of the season and came home when Gilbert blasted an opposite field home run, the first of the season for her and the second of her career.

Hannah Smith kept the home run derby going an inning later as she smashed her first career home run over the left field wall for a two-run shot.

The Lady Bears would go on to score three more runs in the top of the seventh when Binford hit a three RBI double to center field.

Binford not only went 3-for-5 at the plate with five RBI but also picked up the win in the circle for Baylor as she gave up two runs off six hits through four innings of work.


SUNDAY - Baylor 7, No. 9 Arizona State 2

Baylor softball got a bit of revenge on Sunday as the Lady Bears downed No. 9 Arizona State, 7-2, at Farrington Stadium to wrap up a 5-1 weekend in Arizona.

After falling to the Sun Devils, 7-4, on Thursday, the Lady Bears were poised to make some noise in the desert. Arizona State, however, was looking for the sweep as ASU jumped out to a 2-0 lead and had the bases loaded with one out in the bottom of the second inning when BU brought Aliyah Binford into the circle.

And Binford was lights out the rest of the way. The second-year freshman forced a pop fly to second before a groundout to first ended the inning.

The score remained 2-0 in favor of the home team until the Lady Bears got on the board in the top of the fourth. Lou Gilbert knocked a single up the middle, and Binford was plunked to put runners on first and second with one out. Zadie LaValley then stepped to the plate and ripped an RBI single up the middle.

Two innings later, Baylor took over. Back-to-back bunt singles by Nicky Dawson and Gilbert put two runners on with no outs for the Lady Bears. Goose McGlaun then walked to load the bases. LaValley got pegged in the elbow to bring Dawson home, and Emily Hott drew a walk to score Gilbert. Taylor Ellis followed with an RBI single to left field before Maddison Kettler cleared the bases with a double roped to center field.

While the offense found a groove, Binford and the Baylor defense continued to rock and roll. After retiring ASU in order in the third, Binford induced seven groundouts, including a six-four-three double play in the bottom of the seventh inning. 

Through 5.2 innings of work, Binford shut out one of the top offenses in the country and gave up just four hits with four strikeouts.

Gilbert led the way for Baylor at the plate with a 2-for-4 showing and two runs scored.

Tags: Softball, Baylor, 2021
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Baylor SB caps 5-1 weekend with 7-2 victory over No. 9 Arizona State

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