April 26, 2003

Box Score

LAWRENCE, Kan. - Kansas scored an unearned run in the top of the first inning and Baylor could never overcome that deficit as the Jayhawks defeated the Lady Bears 4-1 here Saturday in Big 12 Conference softball action. Baylor drops to 28-27 on the season with the loss, 2-15 in conference play. Kansas improves to 26-20 and 4-13.

The Jayhawks got a run in the top of the first on two hits and a Baylor error. Leadoff hitter Destiny Frankenstein blooped a single to left and then moved to second on a passed ball. Lindsey Weinstein then laid down a bunt single, but Carrie Leerberg's throw to first went down the right-field line and allowed Frankenstein to score.

Kansas added an insurance run in the bottom of the fourth. Nettie Fierros lined a home run that barely cleared the wall in right-center.

Baylor halved the KU lead in the top of the fifth. With Kourtny Westerfeld at third and one out, Kelly Levesque ripped a deep drive to center. Mel Wallach, retreating toward the wall, made an over-the-shoulder catch and robbed Levesque of at least a double. Westerfeld tagged and scored, but that was the end of the threat for the Lady Bears.

The Jayhawks answered Baylor's rally with two runs on three hits in the bottom of the fifth, all coming with two outs. Wallach followed her defensive play with a double off the wall in right. Fierros drove her in with a single to center and advanced to second on Levesque's attempt to gun Wallach out at home. After Fierros swiped third, Heather Stanley singled to the hole at short and scored Fierros.

Cristin Vitek (12-15) started and took the loss for Baylor; she allowed three earned runs on six hits with no walks and 12 strikeouts. It was Vitek's fourth double-digit strikeout performance of the season.

Meanwhile, Kara Pierce (16-12) picked up the victory for Kansas in her first outing since sustaining a shoulder injury two weeks ago against Texas. Pierce was touched for just three hits with no walks and six strikeouts, and she used just 73 pitches in the complete-game victory.

Baylor and Kansas conclude their two-game series and their regular seasons here Sunday at 1 p.m.

Notes: Kansas now leads the all-time series 18-5. Baylor is 0-5 at Lawrence. ... Vitek now has reached the 10-strikeout plateau nine times in her two-year career. However, she is 2-5 with two no decisions in those nine games.