March 1, 2002

Box Score

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. - Poor fielding and a lack of timely hitting led to a pair of losses for Baylor softball here Friday in first-day action at the Frost Invitational, hosted by the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. The Lady Bears fell to Wisconsin 2-1 in the first game of the day and dropped a 1-0 decision in eight innings to the host Lady Mocs in the nightcap.

With the losses, Baylor falls to 23-4, it marks the first time this season the Lady Bears have lost two consecutive games. The loss to Wisconsin also snapped Baylor's school-record 13-game winning streak.

Baylor committed four errors and had two passed balls, leading to two unearned runs against Wisconsin. The Lady Bears got on the board first, Sarah Caudle had a two-out third-inning single up the middle to plate Kourtny Westerfeld, who reached on a Wisconsin error to lead off the frame.

Wisconsin tied the score in the fifth thanks to a pair of Baylor errors. Erin Barnharst reached on an error by shortstop Kim Wilmoth to lead off the inning. Two batters later, Diana Consolgagno reached on an error by Kelly Levesque, who had moved to short after Wilmoth's miscue. That error allowed Barnharst to score and tie the game.

The Badgers took the lead in the bottom of the sixth. Nicki Starry laced a lead off double to the left-center gap, pinch runner Mandy Liles moved to third on a Danelle Arnold passed ball. Anna Jones then scored Liles on a single to center.

Baylor still had a chance to tie the game in the top of the seventh. Levesque dropped a two-out double into left-center, but she was stranded there when Stacey Hundley was struck out to end the game.

Joni Miller (10-2) took the tough-luck loss for the Lady Bears. She allowed two unearned runs on three hits with two walks and one strikeout in five innings of work. Cristin Vitek pitched the final inning, spelling Miller after Starry's double. Vitek allowed one hit with one strikeout.

Andrea Kirchberg (6-4) went the distance for the Badgers, she allowed one unearned run on five hits with one walk and nine strikeouts.

Baylor committed four more errors against Chattanooga. Still, the Lady Bears held the Lady Mocs scoreless through seven innings. The only problem was that UTC pitcher Beth Alexander matched Baylor starter Vitek pitch-for-pitch.

With one out in the top of the eighth and a runner on second to comply with the international tiebreaker rule, Chattanooga's Dana Reed reached on a Vitek throwing error that put runners on the corners. Vitek was then lifted for Miller, who surrendered a run-scoring double to the left-center gap off the bat of Jill Crawford.

Baylor again had a chance in the bottom of the inning, but with runners at second and third and two outs, Hundley was called out on a questionable third strike.

Vitek (8-2) took the loss, she allowed just four hits with one walk and five strikeouts. Alexander (7-2) held Baylor to five hits with three walks and four strikeouts.

The Lady Bears return to action Saturday, facing Middle Tennessee at 6 p.m. CST. Baylor's 9 a.m. game against Marshall has been cancelled.