Baylor SB Sweeps First Day at Lopes Up Classic

[Pirtle, Krista]

BAYLOR ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS – March 12, 2021

SB Sweeps First Day at Lopes Up Classic
Nine of Baylor’s 20 hits went for extra bases, including three home runs
Media link: http://baylorbea.rs/BaylorSoftball
For more information contact: Krista Pirtle, 254-447-8610, Krista_Pirtle at baylor.edu<mailto:Krista_Pirtle at baylor.edu>

THE RUNDOWN
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Baylor went undefeated on Friday afternoon as the Lady Bears picked up a pair of wins over Northern Illinois and GCU.

Whatever momentum the Lady Bears had from Goose McGlaun’s walk-off home run against NIU carried over to the GCU game as the BU offense exploded for 12 runs off 11 hits.

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.

HIGHLIGHTS

  *   Goose McGlaun hit the second home run of the season and 31st of her career vs. NIU.
  *   Zadie LaValley hit her second homer of the season in her first at-bat against GCU.
  *   Ana Watson went yard for the second time in her career against GCU. The third-year sophomore had herself a game at the plate vs. GCU as she finished 2-for-3 with four RBI and three runs scored.
  *   Nicky Dawson has reached base in every game she’s played this season (15) as she had a hit vs. NIU and recorded a walk vs. GCU.
  *   Of Baylor’s 20 hits on the day, nine of them went for extra bases.


STAT OF THE DAY
12 – Number of runs scored against GCU, a season high.

TOP QUOTES
Baylor head coach Glenn Moore on the day…
“After a rough start for our defense in game one, Sidney (Holman-Mansell) took control and allowed us to stay close enough to rally late in the game and finish with a nice opposite field home run from Goose (McGlaun).  We really broke the bats out in the second game and never let up.  I like the blood in the water mentality of game two.”

UP NEXT
The Lady Bears wrap up the Lopes Up Classic against Northern Illinois and GCU on Saturday before returning to Tempe for a rematch at No. 9 Arizona State.


www.BaylorBears.com


Krista Pirtle | Associate Director of Athletics Communications
Department of Athletics | Baylor University
O: 254-710-3065 | C: 254-447-8610

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