Feb. 15, 2002
HOUSTON, Texas - Katie Decker became just the third Baylor pitcher to ever throw a no-hitter here Friday as the Lady Bears split in first-day action at the Houston Invitational. After Baylor fell to Ohio State 2-0 in the weekend opener, Decker held Stephen F. Austin hitless in a 7-2 victory. Baylor now stands at 11-2 on the season.
Decker's no-hitter is the fifth tossed by a Baylor pitcher since the program's re-instatement in 1996. She joins Stacey Allison and Chrystal Smith as the only Lady Bears to have thrown a no-hitter. Allison threw three in her career (1996-1999), including two in 1996. Decker's is Baylor's first since Smith hurled a five-inning no-hitter March 10, 1999 against Butler.
However, the game was not an easy one for Decker (4-0). SFA built a 2-0 lead thanks to a walk, two Baylor errors and a fielder's choice. The Lady Bears finally answered in the fourth with three unearned runs of their own to take a 3-2 lead. April Luce singled in Sarah Caudle, who was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning. After Decker reached on a fielder's choice, Kourtny Westerfeld singled to left, plating Luce and Decker.
Baylor opened its lead in the fifth with four runs on four hits. Kristen Lancaster hit her third home run of the season, a two-run shot that plated Caudle. Danelle Arnold and Luce followed with singles, a third straight single by Decker scored Arnold and Luce.
Decker walked two and struck out seven, she used just 97 pitches and faced one over the minimum after the second inning. Luce had two of Baylor's seven hits and scored twice. Decker and Westerfeld both had two RBI.
One pitch spelled doom for the Lady Bears against Ohio State. After a leadoff single by Chrissy Fowler, Sarah West swatted a home run to center field. That the extent of the scoring, the Buckeyes become the first team to shut out Baylor this season.
Baylor struggled to get any attack at the plate. Kelly Levesque led off the first with a single, and singled with two outs in the third. The Lady Bears did not get another hit until Caudle led off the seventh with a single that chased OSU starter Katie Chain from the game. Two batters later, Arnold singled to give Baylor runners at first and second with one out. However, Buckeye reliever Kristi DeVries got infield pop ups from the next two BU batters to end the game.
Joni Miller (5-1) was saddled with the loss, ending a career-long eight-decision winning streak that dated back to last season. She went the full seven innings and allowed seven hits with two walks and six strikeouts. Chain (2-0) was nearly perfect for Ohio State, allowing just three hits and a walk with nine strikeouts in six innings of work. DeVries picked up the save.
Action continues here Saturday as the Lady Bears face McNeese State at 1 p.m. and host Houston at 7 p.m.
