Baylor Softball Walks Off Kansas, 5-4

[Gilmore, Katy]

BAYLOR ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS – May 25, 2022


Baylor Softball Walks Off Kansas, 5-4
Bears will now play in the NISC Championship game
For more information contact: Katy Gilmore, 254-252-2182, katy_gilmore at baylor.edu<mailto:katy_gilmore at baylor.edu>

THE RUNDOWN
FORT COLLINS, Colo. – Baylor softball comes from behind to walk off Kansas, 5-4 on Wednesday afternoon to advance to the championship game at the National Invitational Softball Championship.

The Bears fell behind early in the game, as Kansas took the 3-0 lead in the first inning. Starting pitcher, Dariana Orme, was able to sit the Jayhawks down in order in the second inning before the Jayhawks tacked on another run in the top of the third.

West, who was 3-for-3 at the plate, singled for the second time in the game to lead off the fourth inning, before Josie Bower reached on a fielder’s choice to put one on for Aliyah Binford. After a battle at the plate, Binford blasted her fifth home run of the year over the wall in center field, to put the Bears on the board.

Zadie LaValley and McKenzie Wilson recorded back-to-back singles in the bottom of the fifth before Taylor Strain advanced them with a sacrifice bunt. Emily Hott reached on a fielder’s choice as they tagged LaValley out at the plate, then West singled to right field, scoring Wilson.

With the Bears within a run, 4-3, Aliyah got on base in the sixth inning but wasn’t able to come around and score.

Binford sat Kansas down in order, in the top of the seventh as the Bears came up to bat for their last chance of the game. Wilson started things off after she was hit by a pitch, followed by a quick bunt from Taylor Strain, who reached first. Hott then singled moving the runners over, before Wilson came home on an error to tie the game at 4-4. The Jayhawks intentionally walked West to set up the force out and loaded the bases with no outs. Bower then laced one up the middle, scoring Strain with a walk-off single.

Orme pitched 3.0 innings striking out one, before Binford came in to close out the rest of the game, striking out four.

The Bears will now face the winner of UNLV-Central Arkansas in the championship game on Thursday, May 26th at 12 p.m. CT.

HIGHLIGHTS

  *   Kaci West was 3-for-3 at the plate with an intentional walk
  *   The Bears’ recorded 12 hits, totaling 43 hits in the Bears last three games
  *   Four Bears recorded multi-hit game
  *   Aliyah Binford struck out four in her 4.0 innings of work, as she pitched in her fourth-straight game
  *   Dariana Orme got her first start since May 8th
  *   Binford hit her fifth home run of the year, a two-run shot
  *   McKenzie Wilson scored two of the Bears runs. She now has a 13-game on-base streak
  *   The Bears now head to the NISC championship game

TOP QUOTES
Glenn Moore on the game…
“This was an example of how much we’ve grown. We dug a hole early yet we stayed patient, extended the at bats and took advantage of the opportunities that created. This team won a big game in the last inning under intense pressure, I’m very proud of them.”

- BaylorBears.com -

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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/>

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