No. 13/14 Baylor softball (29-6) improved to 9-0 in midweek games, downing Abilene Christian (18-14) with a 6-0 shutout on Wednesday evening at Getterman Stadium.
Gia Rodoni (9-1) bounced back in the circle, holding absolute control over the Wildcat lineup. The sophomore pitcher spun 5.0 innings in the circle, allowing just one hit and no runs with six strikeouts.
Shelby McGlaun closed out the final 2.0 frames, allowing just two hits and keeping the Wildcats off the board.
The Baylor offense took the pressure off the pitching staff, spreading 10 hits and six runs over the seven innings.
The bats provided an early boost for Rodoni, cracking through in the bottom of the first.
Jessie Scroggins led off the frame with a bunt single, stealing second and then third.
Lindsey Cargill drove in the first run of the game, singling into left field to score Scroggins.
Taking a 1-0 lead into the home half of the third, the Lady Bears added on with a three-run, five-hit frame.
Scroggins got the inning started with another bunt single, trading spaces with Kyla Walker on a fielder’s choice.
Walker stole second to get in scoring position, moving to third on a throwing error by the ACU catcher on the throw back into the circle.
Cargill took a full count walk, moving into scoring position on the lax Wildcat defense.
Shelby Friudenberg drilled a single through the middle of the infield, scoring both Cargill and Walker. Friudenberg was thrown out trying to advance to second on the throw to the plate.
The next pitch, “Goose” McGlaun drilled a solo shot straight down the line in left field, easily clearing the wall with a no-doubt home run.
With a 4-0 lead, the Lady Bears kept the pressure on in the bottom of the fourth, with Scroggins taking a one out walk.
Walker legged out an infield single, moving Scroggins over. Both runners advanced on a groundout by Cargill.
With two outs, Friudenberg came up clutch again, lacing another single up the middle to score both runners, pushing the Lady Bears to the insurmountable 6-0 lead, which would stand as the final score in the win over the Wildcats.
HIGHLIGHTS
Lindsey Cargill, the team and Big 12’s leading hitter, extended her hitting streak to 13, a new career high and the team’s season high streak.
Cargill also notched her 50th hit of the season, marking her third-straight year with 50+ hits.
Gia Rodoni notched her 94th strikeout of the season and the 125th of her collegiate career.
Shelby Friudenberg led the Baylor offensive charge, going 3-for-3 at the plate and driving in four of BU’s six runs.
Friudenberg extended her on-base streak to 32 games, and counting. The junior slugger now holds sole possession of the No. 2 spot in the Baylor program’s record book, trailing only Kaitlyn Thumann for the program record, who had a 44-game streak stretching across the 2013-2014 seasons.
Ari Hawkins also extended her own on-base streak to 22 games, holding sole possession of No. 6 and trailing Kayce Walker (23, 2009) for the No. 5 spot in the program record books.
TOP QUOTES
“We put a lot of time into our short game after the Kansas weekend and executed it to near perfection today. We've been a little disappointed in how we've performed in front of our home crowd, and they came out to see us in big numbers tonight - it was a great midweek crowd. I thought they left here happy for sure, and I'm very happy we've challenged the girls to show up and play that way for our crowd. We played a pretty solid ball game, overall, and we did it against a very solid ball club with good pitching. I'm very happy with the way tonight went, and it’s a great way to go into another Big 12 weekend. ” – Baylor head coach Glenn Moore
“It was very big to get a win here. With these midweek games, it can be tough since we don't usually play ranked teams, so it’s hard to keep that focus, at times. But the girls came out tonight with that right mind set and just put everything together.” – Baylor pitcher Gia Rodoni
“It feels nice coming back to our home field and being able to knock the rust off from the weekend and traveling. So getting a win on our home turf feels good going into the weekend preparing for Tech.” – Baylor infielder Shelby Friudenberg
STAT OF THE GAME
9-0 – Baylor’s record in midweek games in the 2017 season
WHAT’S NEXT
Baylor hosts Texas Tech for the Lady Bears’ 2017 Big 12 home opener, playing a three-game series starting Friday, March 31 at 6:30 p.m.
