No. 14 Baylor Softball Drops Conference Opener Against No. 7 Oklahoma State, 4-1

Fri Mar 8 23:32:07 CST 2024

BAYLOR ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS – March 8, 2024
No. 14 Baylor Softball Drops Conference Opener Against No. 7 Oklahoma State, 4-1
Bears fall in first extra-inning game of the season
For more information contact: Katy Gilmore, 254-252-2182, katy_gilmore at baylor.edu<mailto:katy_gilmore at baylor.edu>

WACO, Texas – No. 14 Baylor Softball dropped its conference opener against No. 7 Oklahoma State, 4-1, in eight innings Friday night at Getterman Stadium.

In the Bears’ first extra-inning game of the season, BU led for the majority of the game until the tying run came across in the top of the seventh to send it to extras.

THE RUNDOWN
The Bears and Cowgirls battled in a pitchers’ duel for most of the game, without a single run coming across until the fifth inning.

Aliyah Binford pitched lights-out in the contest, allowing a hit in the top of the first but picking up two strikeouts to keep OSU off the board. Binford followed with a 1-2-3 top of the second before allowing a second hit in the third inning but striking out three more on the way.

Baylor’s Taylor Strain singled to lead off the bottom of the first but was ultimately called out after a review said she left early, erasing an infield single from Emily Hott as well. With two outs and no one on, Shaylon Govan walked, but that would be it for the Bears in the first.

Struggling to find an offensive rhythm against Oklahoma State’s Lexi Kilfoyl, the Bears didn’t record their second hit until the bottom of the fourth when Sydney Collazos singled to center field.

After sitting the Cowgirls down in order again in the top of the fifth, Baylor was able to bring home the first run of the game in the bottom half of the inning.

After Oklahoma State made some defensive changes in the outfield, Ana Watson popped up to left field, but an error found her standing on second base with no one out. The Bears then capitalized when Abi Flores hit a bad-hop single past the second baseman to drive in Watson for an unearned run. With the 1-0 lead, Binford reached on a fielder’s choice, but that would be all for the Bears in the fifth inning.

OSU tried to threaten in the top of the sixth, but a double play on a sacrifice bunt quickly cleared the bases and stifled the Cowgirls’ threat.

Collazos walked in the sixth but that would be the last baserunner for the Bears until extra innings were needed.

After a leadoff walk in the top of the seventh, a sacrifice bunt moved the runner over before another walk had two on for the Cowgirls with only one out. The Bears then tried to turn two on a groundout to second base, but the runner at first was called safe on a fielder’s choice and the runner on second came home to score to tie the game 1-1.

Heading to extras after a quiet bottom of the seventh for the Bears, Binford returned to the circle to get the leadoff strikeout. But after the next batter walked, Oklahoma State’s Claire Timm hit a homer over the wall in right field to give OSU the 3-1 lead. The Cowgirls’ last run came around to score after a throwing error and a single to left field that gave OSU the 4-1 advantage.

With Baylor down to its last chance, Strain beat out an infield single in the eighth, but OSU ended the Bears’ comeback by turning a game-ending double play.

HIGHLIGHTS

  *   Taylor Strain, Sydney Collazos and Abi Flores accounted for the Bears’ four hits
  *   Strain tallied the only muti-hit performance for the Bears
  *   Aliyah Binford pitched 6.1 innings, striking out eight and holding OSU scoreless until the seventh
  *   Binford now has a team-leading 60 strikeouts
  *   Kaci West pitched 0.2 innings in relief, striking out two
  *   Shaylon Govan and Collazos each drew a walk
  *   The Bears turned their 14th double play of the season
  *   BU only gave up three hits through the first five innings

QUOTABLE
Sydney Collazos on facing Oklahoma State …
“They have a good team. The Big 12 has a lot of good teams and a lot of good pitchers. We have just as many good pitchers, too. I think she’s a powerful pitcher, a dominant pitcher. We did good making adjustments, and we had some tough breaks. But we’ve got two more (chances) at them.”

Head Coach Glenn Moore on the game …
“We’re inches away from knocking off a top-5 team right there and just didn’t get that double play turned. I’m really proud of the way the girls came out and fought. (Lexi) Kilfoyl is an unbelievable pitcher and it’s hard to lift the ball. I thought we fought hard. I thought we had some weak at-bats at the same time. But we found a way to push one across first and just couldn’t hang on. We had a good plan, good strategy and got better tonight, but disappointing that we couldn’t pull out a win.”

UP NEXT
The Bears will continue the series against No. 7 Oklahoma State facing the Cowgirls Saturday, March 9, at 2 p.m. CT at Getterman Stadium.
-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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