Feb. 3, 2002
Box Score
WACO, Texas - Baylor smashed 30 hits and held its opponents to three hits en route to the team title of the inaugural Getterman Classic here Sunday, defeating Southern 18-1 in five innings and Texas-Arlington 5-0.
Baylor remains perfect on the season at 6-0 with the wins, matching the 1997 squad for the best six-game start in the program's history. The 1997 team started 7-0, a school record for consecutive victories to open a season.
The Lady Bears placed four players on the all-tournament team, pitcher Cristin Vitek joined out fielders Sarah Caudle, Carrie Leerberg and Kelly Levesque on the team. Northwestern State was represented by out fielder Annie Johnston, pitcher Crista Miller and shortstop Nicole Martin. UTA pitcher Katy Cox and third baseman Sherri Wardlow, and Southern second baseman Cozetta Shannon were also honored.
In the opener, Baylor established school records for extra base hits (8) and total bases (38) in an 18-1 thrashing of Southern. The Lady Bears used a nine-run second inning to extend a 2-1 lead and never looked back. The Green and Gold tacked on six more runs in the third and added another in the fourth. Baylor tied a school record with three home runs, Stephanie Pomes smashed a three-run shot in the second, Danelle Arnold knocked a two-run blast in the third, and four batters later Nan Wilkins poked a three-run homer.
April Luce finished the game 4-for-4 with four runs, two RBI and a triple, her four-hit outing ties the school record. Arnold went 3-for-3 with two runs and four RBI. In all, 12 different Lady Bears had at least one hit as Baylor finished with 22 as a team, one shy of the school record.
Katie Decker (2-0) picked up the win for Baylor, going four innings and allowing one unearned run on one hit with three walks and four strikeouts.
Baylor made use of eight hits and a pair of UTA errors to defeat the Lady Mavs 5-0 in the tournament finale. The Lady Bears got a run in the first on a throwing error by UTA. The Lady Mavs committed another error with two outs and the bases empty in the second inning, and Baylor made them pay. Levesque followed with a home run to center field, giving the Lady Bears a commanding 3-0 lead. BU tacked on two more runs in the sixth on a two-run single by Caudle.
Vitek (2-0) picked up the win, allowing no runs on one hit with a walk and four strike outs in five innings of work. Joni Miller yielded one hit and struck out two over two innings for her first save of the season. At the plate, Caudle went 2-for-4, Leerberg's lone hit was the home run as she walked in each of her other three plate appearances.
In other final-day action of the Getterman Classic, Northwestern State knocked off Southern 6-0 and then edged UTA 1-0. Baylor finished as the team champion at 6-0, Northwestern State and UTA finished tied for second at 3-3, and Southern finished fourth at 0-6.
Baylor will return to action Wednesday, hosting Texas-Arlington for a single game at 6 p.m.
