Baylor
Wisconsin
Wisconsin Over Baylor for NIST Consolation Championship
8/3/2000 12:00:00 AM | Softball
March 12, 2000
SAN JOSE, Calif. - Jennifer Grill's sacrifice bunt attempt in the top of the ninth ended up between Baylor's Joni Miller and Summer Rohde and rolled to the back of the infield in the top of the ninth inning bringing home Sarah Lippert with the winning run in Wisconsin's 2-1 victory over Baylor in the consolation championship of the NIST Tournament in San Jose, Calif.
Using the international tiebreaker rule for softball, Lippert was placed on second base to start the inning pinch running for designated player Sarah Mayer. Grill then laid down the bunt which went in between the pitcher and the first baseman all the way to the outfield grass as second baseman Vanessa VandeBurgt was covering first base.
Wisconsin went up 1-0 in the top of the fourth when first baseman Lindy Barth doubled off the left field wall and went to third on a passed ball before Mayer doubled her home one out later.
The Bears waited until the bottom of the seventh to score as Stacey Hundley led off with a bloop single to right field chasing Badger starter Jen Cummings. Kelly Fleming then laid down a sacrifice bunt attempt, which was mishandled by the first baseman putting both runners on. VandeBurgt then sacrificed both runners up and Naomi Fitzgerald was intentionally walked to load the bases.
New Wisconsin pitcher Andrea Kirchberg then uncorked a wild pitch allowing Hundley to come in from third base and tie the game at 1-1. With the winning run on third base with one out, pinch hitter Holly Fields struck out and Sarah Caudle popped out to third.
Miller (7-6) pitched all nine innings for a new career high giving up two runs, one earned, on nine hits with one walk and six strikeouts.
Kirchberg (10-4) picked up the win in relief not allowing a run in three full innings with one walk and five straikeouts.
In the game, both teams stranded 10 runners on base apiece.
In the bottom of the first inning, Fitzgerald led off with a single making it nine consecutive at bats with a base hit, breaking Caudle's high of eight consecutive earlier this season and possibly setting a school record. Fitzgerald went 15-for-23 in the tourney with seven runs scored and five RBI and was named to the all-tournament team.
