Feb. 7, 2004
Box Score
WACO, Texas - Baylor freshman Lisa Ferguson tossed the seventh no-hitter in the program's history here Saturday as the Lady Bears blanked Auburn 2-0 in eight innings during second-day action of the third-annual Getterman Classic.
The Lady Bears dropped a 2-1 decision in the day's final game, their first-ever loss in the Getterman Classic. Baylor now stands 3-1 on the season. Pacific moves to 3-0 and is the only undefeated team remaining in this year's Classic.
In just her second collegiate game, Ferguson joins Stacey Allison, Katie Decker and Joni Miller as the only pitchers in Baylor history to toss complete-game no-hitters. She is the first to throw a no-hitter of more than seven innings. Ferguson joins Allison as the only freshmen hurlers in school history to toss a complete-game no-hitter. Allison's came in the next-to-last game of her freshman campaign.
This is Baylor's first no-hitter since Cristin Vitek and Decker combined for a five-inning no-no Feb. 22, 2002 against Stephen F. Austin.
With the score tied 0-0 after seven innings, the international tie-breaker rule was invoked, placing a runner on second base to start the inning. Baylor, playing as the visitor, scored two runs on two hits in the top of the eighth. After an Amber Daniel sacrifice bunt moved Harmony Schwethelm from second to third, Carrie Leerberg scored Schwethelm with a sacrifice fly. Kelly Osburn and Kelly Levesque followed with back-to-back doubles, giving the Lady Bears a 2-0 cushion.
Ferguson (2-0) then trotted to the circle and closed the door on Auburn (5-1), which earlier in the day pounded 15 runs and 17 hits against Wichita State. The Fort Worth-Paschal product faced one batter over the minimum with one walk and six strikeouts. Ferguson did not allow a ball out of the infield, enducing a pop-up to second, a pop-up to first and 16 ground-ball outs. She used just 75 pitches in eight innings.
Kristen Keyes (2-1) took the loss for Auburn (5-1). She was saddled with one run on three hits and two walks with five strikeouts in the complete-game loss.
Baylor's late-inning magic from the Auburn game failed to repeat against Pacific. With the game scoreless in the sixth, Pacific's Crystal Presson laced a two-out, two-run double off the base of the wall in center.
The Lady Bears had a golden opportunity to answer in the bottom of the inning, loading the bases with three straight singles to start the frame and the 2-3 hitters coming to the plate. However, Kim Wilmoth grounded into a 3-2-4 double play, and Tessa Lynam grounded out to second.
Baylor got another chance, though, with a Chelsi Lake single, a wild pitch and a Levesque single to start to start the bottom of the seventh. A Danelle Arnold ground out then scored Daniel, pinch running for Lake, from third, and a heads-up Levesque advanced to third on the throw home.
Kylie Conroy then lay down two squeeze bunts, trying to score the speedy Levesque from third, but both were foul, the second on strike three. Melissa Maler followed with a looper over pitcher Natalie King's glove, but second baseman Lizzie Hagen charged and threw out Maler by a half step.
Cristin Vitek (1-1) took the loss, allowing one run on four hits and a walk with six strikeouts in 5.1 innings. Lynam pitched the final five outs and was touched for one run on two hits with one strikeout.
King (1-0) scattered seven hits with a walk and six strikeouts.
In other second-day action at the Getterman Classic, Auburn beat Wichita State 15-0, Northwestern State defeated North Texas 7-2, Wichita State defeated North Texas 11-2, and Pacific defeated Northwestern State 3-1.
