May 1, 2003

Box Score

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. - Megan Carey began and ended the scoring here Thursday night as No. 14 Oklahoma State defeated Baylor 8-0 in six innings at the Phillips 66 Big 12 Conference Softball Tournament. Baylor (30-28) falls to the losers' bracket and will face the winner of the Missouri-Nebraska game Friday at 3 p.m. Oklahoma State (36-11) will face the winner of that Missouri-Nebraska game Friday at 8 p.m.

With one on and one out in the bottom of the first, Carey blasted a home run to left-center. That 2-0 lead was more than enough for pitcher Lauren Bay, who tossed her third shutout against Baylor in as many meetings this year. Bay, the Big 12 player of the year, allowed three hits and tallied eight strikeouts.

Baylor continued to battle, though, keeping the game close until the Cowgirls erupted for four runs in the bottom of the fifth. The Cowgirls ended the game in the bottom of the sixth. Carey did the damage with another two-run homer, this one down the line in left. That gave OSU an 8-0 lead, invoking the mercy rule.

"We ran into a team that was better than us right now," head coach Glenn Moore said. "Lauren Bay is an unbelievable pitcher, and you can't give up many runs and be in the ball game."

Katie Decker (8-7) went the distance for Baylor, allowing seven earned runs on 11 hits and two walks with four strikeouts in 5.1 innings of work. Kelly Levesque, Stacey Hundley and Carrie Levesque had Baylor's three hits.

Missouri and Nebraska play at 11 a.m. Thursday. Baylor faces the loser of that game at 3 p.m. The game will be broadcast live on KRZI 1660/1580 in the Waco area and online at www.BaylorBears.com.