Baylor Softball Defeats UT Martin in Season Opener, 8-6

[Gilmore, Katy]

BAYLOR ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS – Feb. 11, 2022


Baylor Softball Defeats UT Martin in Season Opener, 8-6
Bears plate eight in the first to seal the deal
For more information contact: Katy Gilmore, 254-252-2182, katy_gilmore at baylor.edu<mailto:katy_gilmore at baylor.edu>

THE RUNDOWN
Natchitoches, La. – Exploding for eight runs in the first inning, Baylor softball opened the season Friday night with an 8-6 win over UT Martin on the first day of the Lady Demon Classic. It was Baylor’s first eight-run game since a 9-5 win over Iowa State on April 23, 2021.

The first inning saw all the action for the Bears as they plated eight and had 11 reach base. After Emily Hott grounded out to begin the inning, McKenzie Wilson singled to left field in her debut as a Bear. Ana Watson then singled, followed by Aliyah Binford reaching on a fielding error and then a single and a hit by pitch from Sydney Collazos and Josie Bower.

The inning kept going as Kendall Cross singled up the middle, driving in a career-high two runs. Campbell Selman walked, Taylor Strain reached on a fielding error and leadoff batter Hott walked before UT Martin made its first pitching change. Wilson and Watson were each hit by a pitch, bringing in two more runs to round out the 8-0 first inning.

Starting pitcher Dariana Orme went three up, three down in her first two innings pitched, picking up three strikeouts in that time.

The Skyhawks plated runs in the third, fifth and sixth innings to bring to game to 8-6 in the bottom of the sixth.

Making outstanding plays in the field tonight were Strain with a diving catch in left field to keep UT Martin off the board to begin the fifth inning and a 5-2 inning-ending double play from Binford and Collazos in the top of the fourth.

Maren Judsich and Kaci West also made appearances in the game, with West in her first collegiate outing going 0.2 inning and striking out two.

Orme returned to the circle in the top of the sixth, recording the last out of the inning after a three-spot from UT Martin. She helped shut down the Skyhawks in the seventh, fanning two more batters and ending the night with a career-high seven strikeouts.

HIGHLIGHTS

  *   Kendall Cross with a career high 2 RBI in her first game started since 2019
  *   Dariana Orme made her first start for the Bears, recording career-high seven strikeouts
  *   McKenzie Wilson’s first start after her season-ending injury before last season
  *   Taylor Strain gets her first career start for the Bears and first RBI
  *   First game with 8 runs since April 23, 2021
  *   Ana Watson gets a start after a season ending-knee injury last year
  *   Caroline Rowatt came in to pinch run in her first game with the Bears
  *   Kaci West pitched in her first collegiate game, picked up two strikeouts
  *   11 putouts from Sydney Collazos tonight is a career high

STAT OF THE GAME
8 – The number of runs scored in the 1st inning
7 – The number of strikeouts Dariana Orme had

TOP QUOTES
Glenn Moore on the game…
“I challenged them to start fast and we did that. Eight runs in the first sent a message, but we didn’t put them away. Each game we will get better and learn from the previous. It’s good to be back on the field.”

www.BaylorBears.com


--
__________________________________

Katy Gilmore | Associate Director of Athletic Communications
Department of Athletics | Baylor University
O: 254-710-2743 | C: 254-252-2182

[cidimage002.png at 01D79F3C.9D2300D0]<http://baylorbears.com/>

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://mailman.baylor.edu/pipermail/localmedia/attachments/20220212/d7c4d4dc/attachment-0001.html>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: image001.png
Type: image/png
Size: 11690 bytes
Desc: image001.png
URL: <http://mailman.baylor.edu/pipermail/localmedia/attachments/20220212/d7c4d4dc/attachment-0001.png>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: BU_SB_2022_UTMartin_BoxScore.pdf
Type: application/pdf
Size: 121259 bytes
Desc: BU_SB_2022_UTMartin_BoxScore.pdf
URL: <http://mailman.baylor.edu/pipermail/localmedia/attachments/20220212/d7c4d4dc/attachment-0001.pdf>