Baylor SB Gets Series Sweep over Kansas

Sun May 2 15:28:42 CDT 2021

BAYLOR ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS – May 2, 2021

SB Gets Series Sweep over Kansas
Gia Rodoni finished the day with 11 strikeouts, no walks
For more information contact: Krista Pirtle, 254-447-8610, Krista_Pirtle at baylor.edu<mailto:Krista_Pirtle at baylor.edu>

THE RUNDOWN
WACO, Texas – It was high drama on Saturday afternoon as the Jayhawks plated three runs in the top of the seventh to cut Baylor’s lead to one. Kansas had a runner on second with two outs when the game was called due to rain. The two teams picked things up where they left off on Sunday morning before closing out the series at noon.

The Lady Bears took care of business to end the second game of the series with a 6-5 victory before building off of that momentum with a 6-1 win to get the sweep.

GAME 1: BAYLOR 6, KANSAS 5
Kansas plated three runs to cut a four-run Baylor lead to one with a runner on second and two outs in the top of the seventh inning on Saturday before the heavens opened and the game was put on hold due to weather.

The two teams finished out the game Sunday morning. After Gia Rodoni intentionally walked Morgyn Wynne, the sixth-year senior struck out Ashlyn Anderson to get the win for BU.

The day before, Lou Gilbert got things started for the Lady Bears as she went yard on the fifth pitch of the ballgame to put BU up early.

The score remained 1-0 in favor of the Lady Bears until the home team put up a three-spot in the bottom of the third inning. Hannah Smith led off the frame with a single up the middle before Gilbert followed with a single to right field to put runners on the corners with no outs.

A walk by Emily Hott loaded the bases for Goose McGlaun who hit a grounder to short. The KU shortstop overthrew the catcher trying to get the force out at home which allowed two Lady Bears to score. The third run came home on a groundout by Aliyah Binford.

Baylor added a couple more runs in the fifth inning off a Taylor Ellis two-run bomb over the center field wall.

GAME 2: BAYLOR 6, KANSAS 1
Baylor took a 1-0 lead in the second inning as Taylor Ellis knocked a triple to center field and then scored off an RBI single by Josie Bower.

Kansas tied things up with a solo shot in the top of the third, but the Lady Bears had the answer in the bottom of the frame. Emily Hott led off with a double, and Goose McGlaun followed with a single to put runners on the corners with no outs. Aliyah Binford knocked in a run with an RBI single down the left field line.

Taylor Ellis executed a bunt single to perfection to load the bases with no outs but three-straight infield groundouts ended the Baylor threat.

Baylor broke things open in the fourth as Lou Gilbert led things off with a walk, and Hott followed with a single. A double steal put runners in scoring position for McGlaun who knocked a sac fly out to right field. Binford then doubled for her second RBI of the day before a double off the center field wall by Ellis scored another.

BU added one more run in the sixth as Gilbert got things started with a double before she came home on an RBI single by Binford.

HIGHLIGHTS

  *   Lou Gilbert hit her fifth home run of the season and the sixth of her career to lead things off for the Lady Bears.
  *   Emily Hott’s double in the third inning of the final game, her eighth of the season, gives her a streak of 29 games where she’s reached base safely. That’s good for fifth in program history.
  *   Taylor Ellis hit her third home run of the season and 10th of her career in the fifth inning.
  *   Gia Rodoni picked up her ninth career save in Game 2 which ties her for fifth in program history alongside Cristen Vitek (2002-05).
  *   Rodoni finished with 10 strikeouts in Game 3 to go with no walks. That marks the second time this season she’s fanned 10 batters (vs. Houston on March 20). It was her 13th career double-digit strikeout game.
  *   Rodoni threw her ninth complete game of the season in Game 3 and the 41st of her career. That’s good for seventh in program history.
  *   Ellis was a home run short of the cycle in Game 3 as she had a triple, a bunt single and a double.
  *   Ellis tied her career high with three hits in Game 3. She’s had three hits in a game two other times this year – vs. Lamar (2/27), at Texas Tech (3/27).
  *   Aliyah Binford went 3-for-4 in Game 3. Every hit she had drove in a run.
  *   The top five batters for Baylor had 10 of BU’s 11 hits. Hott, Binford and Ellis combined for eight.
  *   Baylor has now won three of its five Big 12 series. Two of those have been sweeps.

STAT OF THE DAY
10 – Number of hits by the top five hitters in the lineup

TOP QUOTES
Baylor head coach Glenn Moore on the games…
“ I had my mind on this most of the night, knowing the importance of momentum and how if we didn’t finish that one off, it could lead to a Kansas weekend. It’s really about momentum. And thank goodness, we went in and took control of that game and got it and could play relaxed the third game.”

Gia Rodoni on the Baylor offense…
“I know I don’t have to be perfect, and they’re always going to respond back and keep fighting. This is one of the best hitting teams I’ve been on throughout my six years being here. I’m definitely impressed with how much they’ve grown and I’m excited to see how much they can keep putting up.”

UP NEXT
Baylor closes out the regular season against No. 7 Texas. The Lady Bears travel to Austin for a Friday night matchup before returning home to host the Longhorns for a pair of games on Saturday and Sunday.

www.BaylorBears.com

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

[signature_76632719]<http://www.baylorbears.com/>
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