No. 16/17 Baylor softball (25-13, 3-6 Big 12) dropped a 5-1 decision in the series finale at Oklahoma State (32-12, 10-2 Big 12) on Sunday afternoon at Cowgirl Stadium.
Gia Rodoni (14-9) found herself in an early hole, allowing five runs, only two of those earned, all coming in the first two innings.
Rodoni would finish with 6.0 innings of work, allowing nine total hits, five runs, two earned runs, eight strikeouts, and two walks.
After seven hits and five runs in the first two frames, Rodoni smothered the Cowgirls over the next four frames, allowing just two hits and three total baserunners with five strikeouts over that stretch.
The Baylor offense scratched out a single run in the seventh, but had a prime opportunity taken away in the top of the third. Shelby Friudenberg’s potential two-run home run was robbed by OSU’s centerfielder, just inches away from cutting the Cowgirl lead down.
The Lady Bears broke through in the top of the seventh with a score, starting on a full-count walk drawn by Nicky Dawson.
Taylor Ellis and Dawson traded places on a fielder’s choice, with Ellis moving to second on a groundout.
Maddison Kettler drove Ellis in on a double into the corner down the left field line, but the late rally was not enough to overcome the early outburst by the Cowgirls.
HIGHLIGHTS
The Lady Bears were swept in a three-game series for just the third time in program history, previously shutout in series with Oklahoma (2016, 2018) and now Oklahoma State.
Scroggins (250 career hits) holds in the No. 2 spot on Baylor’s career hits leaderboard, now three away from Lindsey Cargill (253, 2014-2017) for the top spot.
Baylor falls to 30-37 all-time vs. the Cowgirls, including 11-21 in games played in Stillwater.
After allowing five runs and seven hits over the first two frames, Gia Rodoni settled back to allow just two hits and three total Cowgirl baserunners over the next four innings with five strikeouts.
WHAT’S NEXT
Baylor will take the short drive down I-35 to Austin, facing Texas for a single-game in the annual split series with the Longhorns on Tuesday, April 17, at 4:30 p.m., with the Longhorns returning to Waco to finish the three-game series later to close the regular season on May 5-6. After the #SicUT opener, the Lady Bears will be back at Getterman for the final three-game Big 12 home series, hosting Kansas on April 20-22.
