No. 14/15 Baylor softball (23-4) took a 3-0 win over Incarnate Word (4-20) and an 8-2 victory over UTSA (9-16), sweeping the split doubleheader on Tuesday evening at Getterman Stadium.
Baylor opened back to a five-game win streak, winning 17 of its last 18 games. The Lady Bears also hold a 10-game home winning streak, improving to 13-1 this season at Getterman Stadium.
In game one facing UIW, Shelby McGlaun (5-2) was dominant in the circle, allowing just one hit in a 7.0 inning shutout with five strikeouts.
The bats gave the Lady Bears an early lead, cracking the scoreboard in the bottom of the second.
Maddison Kettler led off with a single, stealing second to move into scoring position.
Jessie Scroggins would plate Kettler on a single up the middle, giving BU the 1-0 lead after two.
Back in the bottom of the third, Lindsey Cargill started the two-out rally, legging out a bunt single to third base.
After stealing second and taking third on a wild pitch, Cargill scored on Kettler’s RBI single to centerfield, pushing the BU lead to 2-0 through three.
Keeping the pressure on, Cargill had another infield single, stealing second on the next play. After a ground out moved her to third, a sac fly RBI from Taylor Ellis would score Cargill, adding insurance for the 3-0 win in the first game.
Facing UTSA in game two, Gia Rodoni (7-0) worked the first 5.0 innings, allowing two unearned runs on five hits, striking out three.
Kelsee Selman worked the final 2.0 scoreless frames, allowing three hits with three strikeouts, including working out of a bases-loaded jam in the top of the sixth.
The Roadrunners were first to score, plating UTSA’s only two runs on a wild sequence of sloppy BU defensive miscues and an error in the top of the third inning.
The Lady Bears answered in the home half of the third, with Kyla Walker singling up the middle to score Caitlin Charlton from second after Charlton led off the inning with a walk.
The Lady Bears fought back with a monster inning in the bottom of the fourth, breaking open the game with seven runs on six hits and a UTSA error.
Cargill led off with an infield single, moving to second on a sac bunt from Kettler.
Ellis drilled a single off the chest of the UTSA shortstop, moving Cargill to third and Ellis taking second in the shuffle.
Madi O’Neal came on to pinch hit, dropping a picture perfect bunt single in front of the plate, loading the bases.
Charlton came through in the clutch, emptying the bases with a single into right field, advancing to second on a throwing error by the UTSA right fielder that allowed O’Neal to score, giving BU a 4-2 lead with just one out.
Scroggins took a walk, with both runners moving into scoring position on a passed ball.
Walker bounced a grounder to first, with a late throw home unable to catch Charlton, allowing Walker to move to second on the throw.
A single from Shelby Friudenberg would score Scroggins, putting runners on the corners, still with one out.
A passed ball scored Walker on the next batter, pushing Friudenberg to second.
McGlaun roped a single into centerfield, moving Friudenberg to third.
An unassisted ground out to first base by Cargill scored Friudenberg, icing the seven-run inning and the 8-2 lead for BU.
UTSA had its biggest threat of the night in the top of the sixth, after Selman entered to relieve Rodoni.
Charlton had a highlight reel catch on a line drive back up the middle, diving at full extension to her glove side to save the out to open the inning.
The Roadrunners would load the bases on a single, a walk, and another single, putting the pressure on Selman and the defense.
The senior settled in, forcing an infield pop fly and a swinging strikeout to end the threat and close any chance at a comeback.
HIGHLIGHTS
Caitlin Charlton came up big vs. UTSA, going 1-for-2 with a walk, two runs scored, and two RBI.
Shelby “Goose” McGlaun pitched the 34th one-hitter in program history, the first since Heather Stearns shutout Texas in 7.0 innings on May 6, 2015.
McGlaun worked her second-consecutive shutout, combining with Selman on a shutout over Northwestern State on March 8 in Natchitoches, La.
Maddison Kettler and Lindsey Cargill paced the bats in the doubleheader, with Kettler going 2-for-4 with a run and an RBI and Cargill going 3-for-6 with three runs and an RBI. The duo also accounted for four of Baylor’s five stolen bases in the two games.
Shelby Friudenberg extended her on-base streak to 24 games, and counting. The junior slugger overtook sole possession of the No. 4 spot in the program’s record book, passing Kayce Walker (23, 2009). She now trails Kaitlyn Thumann (26, 2014) and Kathy Shelton (26, 2011-2012) for the No. 2 spot. Thumann also holds the program record, with a 44-game streak stretching across the 2013-2014 seasons.
STAT OF THE DAY
0.00 – the ERA for the Baylor pitching staff, with the only two runs scored by either opposing team coming off unearned runs. The trio of McGlaun, Rodoni, and Selman held opposing hitters to a paltry .170 average, dropping all three pitchers to sub-2.00 ERA’s for the season.
TOP QUOTE
“Goose pitches a one-hitter, very close to a no-hitter, so you can't ask for much more out of that for her. The biggest thing is we got to throw our pitchers. We got to get good work out of all three. We didn't throw Selman a whole lot, but she got to knock off some rust, too. We got challenged a little bit at the plate, and we made some mistakes defensively. Tradition tells me that more than a two-day layoff is really too much to be sharp - really more than one day to be your best. You can take a day off, but you've got to get back on it. We took a three-day weekend, which was needed. You've got to rest to stay hungry, but you can't expect to come back looking like we looked in California after a three-day weekend. So, I'm not surprised by that, but I'm glad we played two games and got as much work in as we did. I think we'll get back in sync and that's just what we needed before we go to Florida.” – Baylor head coach Glenn Moore
“It felt really good. I knew I was just trying to get it to the right side, which is the best option for scoring runs. She came out with that outside pitch and I just went with it and hit it to the right side. It felt really good driving in those runs and getting ahead in the game.” – Baylor shortstop Caitlin Charlton, on her two RBI single that served as the go-ahead runs
WHAT’S NEXT
Baylor heads back out on the road, playing a weekend series in Orlando, Fla., with UCF, with games scheduled for Friday, March 17, at 7 p.m. ET, Saturday, March 18, at 3 p.m. ET, and Sunday, March 19, at 1 p.m. ET.
