HISTORY: Orme Spins Perfect Game in Baylor Softball Home-Opening Win

Fri Feb 17 18:00:23 CST 2023

BAYLOR ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS – Feb. 17, 2023

HISTORY: Orme Spins Seven-Inning Perfect Game in Home Opener
Dariana Orme Fans 10 in First Seven-Inning Perfect Game in Baylor History

For more information contact: Katy Gilmore (254.252.2182; katy_gilmore at baylor.edu<mailto:katy_gilmore at baylor.edu>)

WACO, Texas -- Dariana Orme tossed the first seven-inning perfect game in Baylor softball history, leading the Bears to a 3-0 win over Stephen F. Austin in the home opener of the 2023 season, on a sunny Friday evening at Getterman Stadium.

Orme (2-1) used just 81 pitches over seven complete innings, fanning a career-high 10, to throw the first seven-inning perfect game in program history. A native of Vacaville, Calif., the junior retired all 21 hitters she faced, including striking out the side in the third and sixth innings.

A 2022 All-Big 12 second-team selection, Orme fanned five straight over the second and third innings and only allowed three would-be fair balls reach the outfield. She fired first-pitch strikes to 14 of the 21 hitters she faced.

The perfect game marked the first seven-inning perfect game in program history and the second perfect game in school history, with the last coming in a five-inning, run-rule win over Prairie View A&M in 2022, tossed by now-sophomore Kaci West.

SFA (5-4) fell behind after a single tally in the first inning and a two-run fourth. The Jacks got a complete-game effort from Brooke Gaino (0-2) in the circle. She allowed nine hits and two walks, striking out two over 108 pitches.

STAT OF THE GAME

Baylor (5-1) won its fifth game in six outings the open the year, using a nine-hit effort offensively that including a 3-for-4 game with a triple from McKenzie Wilson, a two-hit effort from Presleigh Pilon, and the first homer of the year from Sydney Collazos, the third of her career.

The Bears also got hits from Amber Tovan, Shaylon Govan and Taylor Strain. Emily Hott drew a pair of walks.

THE RUNDOWN

The Bears opened the scoring with two hits and a walk in the bottom of the first. Wilson led off with an infield hit and after a knock from Toven and a walk to load the bases from Hott, Govan hung a sacrifice fly to leftfield to allow Wilson to score.

In the fourth, Baylor added a pair for a three-run lead. Collazo pounded a two-out, solo homer over the leftfield fence to give BU a two-run lead. Strain followed with a single up the middle and Wilson tripled off the wall in rightfield, allowing Strain to motor home.

QUOTABLE

Glenn Moore

Baylor Head Coach

On Orme’s historic outing …

“What a phenomenal outing, it’s the second perfect game in school history (first seven inning). The key was that she kept her pitch count down. She was somewhere around 10-pitch innings the entire game. She was struggling a little bit, going deep in the count. But she didn’t lose them, that’s typical of her. By the middle of the game, she was missing bats, so we knew the ball was moving pretty good. Then we made a pretty phenomenal defensive play to end it with Amber Toven at shortstop.”

On the first seven-inning perfect game in program history …

“It’s pretty amazing when you think about some of the good arms we’ve had in here, Heather Stearns, Whitney Canion, Lisa Ferguson, Kelsee Selman. That just tells you how difficult it is to do that, especially in this day and age. You had a lot more no-hitters back in the day when the hitters weren’t quite as strong as they are today. You’re seeing teams put up 70 or 80 home runs a year, and over a hundred in some cases. Offenses are so much stronger and better than 20 years ago. It’s more and more unusual to see that in our sport, and that makes it pretty phenomenal. Not a better person to enjoy that than Dari Orme. She’s worked through a lot of adversity and stayed locked in the whole game. It’s a good way to open a home season, right?”

On Orme as a leader …

“She’s a leader for us, No. 1. She’s one of the best leaders I’ve ever had in a program and she’s been able to lead through dealing with injuries and frustrations and not having her best stuff. That’s when some players will kind of get to themselves a little bit and start being selfish and focused on themselves. They feel like they have to do that to be able to lead. Dari has never done that, she’s continued to lead through that adversity, and it shows how unselfish she is and she sees the big picture.”

Darianna Orme

Junior, Pitcher

On a wooden staff that the team uses for motivation …

“This right here is the staff (a wooden walking stick), and on our staff, we have the scripture Exodus 14:16, which (says) lift up your staff and stretch out your hand.’ And so, this has been our thing this year, this is our focus. I think being able to look at this in the dugout has really helped me in our game because we got to use it in (Las) Vegas. It’s gonna be a lot bigger because we just started it – but it’s just gonna remind us of all the times that God has brought us over. And so, to be able to reflect on that when I'm in the middle of a game and I'm like, ‘God, how am I gonna make it?’ You've done it for my teammates, you've done it for me. You're gonna do it again today. So like, it's an amazing tool that we get to use to just keep us focused on Christ. So, it’s really cool.”

On a fun-loving team …

“I feel so good. I feel so good. We have such an amazing team this year that I just know every time I step out there, I'm gonna have a blast because they're gonna keep me light, they're gonna try and make me laugh all the time. So, I get to just play so freely because of what Coach Moore and the coaching staff has brought in this year. So, it's just, it's beautiful out there.”

On when she realized that she had a perfect game …

“I think during the sixth inning, I was like, ‘Dang, this game is flying by really fast. What is going on? And I made the mistake of looking at the board. I was like, ‘Is this real?’ So, then I had to just say, OK, let me keep my little routine.’ Now, you don't want to put too much emphasis, and then I started figuring out, like ‘Why is everyone not talking to me? Why is everyone trying to avoid me right now?’ They don't usually do that. I'm usually the one at the front of the dugout. And so, (I) definitely started to feel it when the team was kind of just clearing the little path for me to walk every inning. I was like ‘Oh gosh, here we go.’”

On a strong defensive effort …

“We have an amazing defense. I think the play that Amber made at the end just shows you where we're headed with this team and the defense that we have. That's what you're looking at. Baylor softball is on the come up, so just wait on it.”

Sydney Collazos

Catcher, Junior

On being behind the plate for the perfect game …

“It was a cool experience. I didn’t even realize it was going on until halfway through the seventh inning. I was like, ‘Wow, nobody’s been on base.’ But man, she threw a heck of a game. She was locked in the entire time, the defense was locked in the entire time. You have Taylor Strain, up reading the batters, up and catching that ball that’s a hit in most cases. Everything came together how it should, it was amazing.”

On her first home run of the year …

“No, what’s funny is, I’m seeing her run to the wall, and I’m like, ‘Dangit!’ because the wind always blows in on this field. So, I’m just running and I hear screaming, so I’m thinking she caught it. And then the whole team came out, so I just kept running. It was unfortunate, because I know you guys wanted to see me steal some bases. I had to make it a little easier.”

WHAT’S NEXT

The Getterman Classic will return on Saturday, with the Bears hosting Longwood at 3 p.m. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN+.

- BaylorBears<http://www.BaylorBears>.com -

--
Brent Ingram | Assistant AD for Communications
Department of Athletics | Baylor University
C: 210-845-8651

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