Feb. 28, 2003

Box Score

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas - Baylor's 25th-ranked softball team pushed its season-long winning streak to eight games here Friday, defeating Texas Tech 3-0 and New Mexico 5-1 in first-day action of the Islander Invitational hosted by Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.

The Lady Bears improve to 17-7 with the win, matching the fifth-longest winning streak in school history.

Baylor jumped on Texas Tech early, scoring a run on two hits in the top of the first. Kelly Levesque led off the game with a single to left field. She moved to second on a Kim Wilmoth sacrifice bunt and then took third on a passed ball. Kelly Osburn followed with a single up the middle to plate Levesque.

Tech threatened in the bottom of the first with four singles, but Baylor starter Joni Miller refused to let a run cross the plate. With one out and runners at first and second, Kelly Rhyne singled to right field. A Sarah Caudle-to-April Luce-to-Danelle Arnold cut down Kristi Robles trying to score from second. Amanda Douglas followed with a single up the middle, but this time the runner was held at third. Miller then got Lisa Lawler to foul out, ending the threat.

Osburn got things started for Baylor in the fourth with a leadoff double down the line in right. Caudle followed with a single through the right side and then stole second. Two batters and two outs later, Arnold laced a single past a diving second baseman that scored both base runners.

Miller (3-2) pitched her first complete-game shutout since opening weekend. She allowed just one hit after the four-hit first. Miller did not allow a walk and struck out a season-best nine batters.

Baylor again got on the board first against New Mexico. Caudle hit the first pitch she saw to lead off the bottom of the second with her third home run of the season. That lead did not last long, though, as the Lobos tied the game with a run in the top of the third. Sabrina Sandberg led off with a double to center and later scored on a fielder's choice.

The Lady Bears answered in the bottom of the inning. With two outs and one on, shortstop Kim Wilmoth blasted the first home run of her career at any level over the fence in right. Baylor tacked on two more runs in the fourth, all coming with two outs. April Luce doubled off the wall in left, and Arnold followed with a run-scoring single through the right side. Kourtny Westerfeld then doubled down the line in right, scoring Arnold and capping the scoring at 5-1.

Katie Decker (4-2) gave Baylor its second complete game of the day. She allowed one run on three hits and three walks with one strikeout.

Baylor returns to action here Saturday. The Lady Bears face Wichita State at 10:30 a.m., followed by a 3 p.m. game against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.