Feb. 8, 2003

Box Score

BATON ROUGE, La. - Baylor pitchers did not allow an earned run here Saturday, but errors cost the Lady Bears two victories in second-day action of the Tiger Classic. Stephen F. Austin made use of three errors for four unearned runs to defeat Baylor 4-2 in the first game of the day. No. 11 DePaul took advantage of two Baylor errors for three unearned runs to defeat the Lady Bears 3-1.

The Lady Bears fall to 6-4 with the losses. With four straight defeats, Baylor matches the longest losing streak in head coach Glenn Moore's three-year tenure. However, three of the four losses were to teams ranked 11th or better.

"There's not so much a level of concern as there is a sense of reality," Moore said. "This is a humbling game. Just when you think you're getting good, you're reminded you have a lot to work on. It's also not a time to panic. Teams have to learn how to win. There are some games that are easy wins, and there are some games that are hard wins. This team has not yet learned how to get those hard wins."

Kelly Levesque led off the SFA game with a triple to right field. However, she was stranded at third after an infield pop up and two strikeouts. That proved to be the theme of the game for the Lady Bears, who left nine runners on base and six in scoring position.

The Ladyjacks took the lead with three runs on two hits and a pair of Baylor errors in the fourth. Lee Lara had the inning's biggest hit, a two-run single to left-center. Baylor answered with a run in the top of the fifth. Levesque established a Baylor record with her second triple of the game to lead off the inning. Kim Wilmoth scored Levesque on an infield single.

SFA added another unearned run in the bottom of the inning. Jaime Brown reached on a one-out error and later scored on Meryl McGuire's two-out single. Danelle Arnold doubled to center with one out in the top of the sixth. Amber Daniel followed with another double, but the Lady Bears could not get another run home.

Sarah Caudle (1-1) took the tough-luck loss, allowing just five hits with no walks and three strikeouts. Crissy Autry (2-3) scattered five hits and three walks with four strikeouts for the victory. Traci Moore allowed one run one three hits for her first save of the season.

Against DePaul, the Lady Bears surrendered an unearned run in the top of the first when Liz Bouck drew a leadoff walk, moved to second on a Baylor error, and then scored on a Gina Ramacci groundout.

Caudle tied the score in the bottom of the first, lacing a 2-1 pitch down the right-field line for her first home run since the 2000 season. Meanwhile, Baylor starter Katie Decker found her groove and retired 12 straight after a Katy Kukman leadoff single in the second.

That came to an end in the sixth, though. Bouck reached on an error to open the frame, and Sarah Martz followed with a walk. Joni Miller then spelled Decker and got one out before Ramacci blooped a single down the line in right to load the bases. After an infield pop up, Kukman singled to left-center and drove in the deciding runs.

Decker (1-1) was saddled with the loss despite allowing only one hit in six innings of work. She walked two and struck out five. Martz (2-0) scattered seven of Baylor's eight hits, allowed one run, walked one and struck out one. Lindsay Chouinard pitched the final five outs, allowing one hit with three strikeouts, for her second save of the season.

Action in the Tiger Classic concludes here Sunday with bracket play. Baylor plays either DePaul at 10 a.m. or host Louisiana State at noon.