April 6, 2002
Box Score
COLUMBIA, Mo. - Joni Miller got Melanie Fisher to ground out to shortstop Kim Wilmoth with the bases loaded and two outs here Saturday night as No. 24 Baylor escaped with a 5-4 victory over Missouri in Big 12 Conference softball action.
Baylor (39-11, 6-3) establishes a school record for wins in a season with the victory, eclipsing the previous mark set last season and in 1997. The Lady Bears are also now one conference victory shy of tying the school record in that category, Baylor had seven Big 12 wins in 1999 and last season.
With two out and the bases empty in the bottom of the seventh, Heather Allister singled up the middle. After pinch hitter Daisy Mettlach was hit by a pitch, Morgan LeCluyse singled through the left side to load the bases. That's when Miller relieved Katie Decker in the circle for Baylor. On an 0-2 pitch to Rachel McGinnis, Miller uncorked a wild pitch that allowed Allister to score. Miller eventually walked McGinnis, but got Fisher to end the game.
Decker (10-1) got the victory for Baylor in relief of starter Cristin Vitek. Decker was touched for one run on two hits with a walk and a strikeout in three and two-thirds innings of work. Vitek allowed three runs, two earned, on four hits with three strikeouts over three innings. Miller earned her Big 12 best fifth save of the season, extending her school record for career saves to 10.
The Lady Bears manufactured a run in the top of the first. Kelly Levesque led off with an infield single, moved to second on a Stacey Hundley sacrifice bunt and went to third on a Sarah Caudle single up the middle. Caudle was then thrown out trying to steal second, but on the throw Levesque raced home.
Missouri answered with two runs in the bottom of the inning. With runners at first and second and one out, Fisher laced a single down the leftfield line. That scored both runners as Baylor left fielder Carrie Leerberg bobbled the ball in the corner.
But Baylor did not stay down long as the Lady Bears erupted for four runs. Cristin Vitek laced a two-run double and two batters later Levesque blasted a two-run homer to right-center, her second home run of the season. The Tigers answered with a run in the bottom of the fourth on a Heather Kunkel run-scoring double to make it 5-3.
Baylor and Missouri will conclude this two-game series Sunday at 1 p.m. CDT.
