March 13, 2002

Box Score

WACO, Texas - Baylor scored three runs in the first, another in the third and then withstood a Texas-Arlington sixth-inning rally for a 4-3 victory here Wednesday night in softball action.

With the win, Baylor (30-7) becomes the first Division I team in America to reach 30 wins this season. The Lady Bears are now 17-0 at home this year with a school-record 24-game home winning streak that dates back to last season. UTA falls to 9-17.

Baylor scored three runs on one hit and four walks in the first inning. The Lady Bears are now 13-0 this season when scoring in the first inning. Danelle Arnold started things with a sacrifice fly to plate Kelly Levesque, who led off the inning with a walk. After April Luce reached on a walk, Carrie Leerberg doubled in Stacey Hundley and Luce to make it 3-0.

The Lady Bears tacked on another run in the third, what proved to be a crucial run. Kristen Lancaster led off with a walk, and pinch runner Maggie Sloan later scored on a Luce single down the left-field line.

UTA made things interesting in the sixth, scoring three runs on three hits and a pair of Baylor errors. However, Cristin Vitek spelled starter Joni Miller with the tying run at second and one out, Vitek got the next two batters to end the rally.

Miller (11-3) allowed three runs, two earned, on seven hits with no walks and two strikeouts in five and two thirds innings of work. Vitek picked up her third save of the season, tossing one and two-thirds perfect innings.

Levesque and Luce both went 1-for-2 on the night, each with a walk and a run scored. Baylor managed just four hits on the game, each coming in a different inning.

Katy Cox (5-11) took the loss, she went the distance for UTA and allowed four runs, three earned, on four hits with five walks and four strikeouts.

Baylor returns to action in one week, traveling to Lubbock, Texas, for a March 20 doubleheader against Texas Tech at 2 p.m. CST.