March 7, 2003
Box Score
HONOLULU, Hawai'i - Casie Phillips' sacrifice fly scored Jessica Grassi with two outs in the bottom of the eighth as Loyola Marymount upset Baylor's 25th-ranked softball team 9-8 in extra innings here Friday in second-day action of the Malahini Tournament hosted by the University of Hawai'i. Baylor falls to 19-10 on the season with the loss; LMU improves to 10-11.
The loss marked the first time since May 10, 2001 that Baylor scored at least four runs and did not win, snapping a 39-game winning streak in such games. The Lady Bears lost a 10-4 decision to Kansas in the losers' bracket of the 2001 Big 12 Tournament.
Baylor led 5-0 after a second-inning Stephanie Pomes solo home run and a third-inning Sarah Caudle grand slam. However, Loyola Marymount battled back, scoring one run in the third, four runs in the fourth and two runs in the fifth to take a 7-5 lead.
The Lady Bears recaptured the lead in the top of the sixth. With the bases loaded and one out, Kim Wilmoth singled down the left-field line to score a pair of runs. But that lead was short-lived. Lisa Abbott singled to lead off the bottom of the sixth, stole second and later scored on a two-out Trisha Gomes single to left.
The international tie-breaker rule was in effect in the eighth inning, placing a runner on second base to start the frame. Baylor had runners at first and third with one out in the top of the eighth, but a caught stealing and a Kelly Levesque strikeout ended the inning.
Grassi started the bottom of the eighth at second and moved to third on an Abbott sacrifice bunt.
Baylor nearly took the lead in the top of the seventh. Caudle led off with a walk and moved to second on a one-out Harmony Schwethelm single up the middle. Danelle Arnold followed with a single up the middle, but Caudle was thrown out trying to score.
Joni Miller started for Baylor and looked sharp for the first three innings. However, she was touched for five runs on seven hits and a walk with six strikeouts in 3.2 innings. Katie Decker pitched the next one-third of an inning; she faced two batters in the fifth and allowed two runs on two hits and a walk. Cristin Vitek (9-5) took the tough-luck loss. She allowed two runs, one earned, on two hits with no walks and five strikeouts in 3.2 innings.
Krystal Kehr (6-3) earned the victory in relief for LMU; she entered the game after Caudle's walk in the seventh and held Baylor scoreless on two hits with a walk and one strikeout in 2.0 innings. Starter Samantha Lavino was touched for eight runs, six earned, on seven hits and three walks with three strikeouts.
Pomes and Schwethelm had two hits each, and Caudle established a career high with four RBI.
Baylor plays Hawai'i later Friday. Action continues here Saturday as the Lady Bears face Boston College at 4 p.m. CST. Sunday's game against Kent State has been pushed back two hours to 8 p.m. CST due to rescheduling of the Hawai'i-Boston College game that was rained out Thursday night.
