March 4, 2004

Box Score

Clearwater, Fla.-The Baylor Lady Bears pushed their win streak to ten with a pair of come-from-behind victories today in action at the Speedline Classic. Baylor opened the tournament with a 4-2 victory over Troy State before defeating No. 22 Iowa 4-3 in nine innings.

With the pair of victories, Baylor moves its record to 17-5 on the season. The victory over nationally-ranked Iowa also marks the first time in school history Baylor has won four straight games when facing a ranked opponent.

In the first game of the day, Baylor rallied from a 2-0 deficit to defeat Troy State, 4-2.

TSU jumped into the lead in the second inning when Bonnie Belin hit a two-run home run over the left field wall to give Troy State the early lead.

Baylor had an answer in the fifth inning; however, as the Lady Bears had a four run outburst to grab the lead for good.

The key hits in the inning came on a pair of triples with two outs. Trailing 1-2 in the count with a runner on third and, Chelsi Lake hit a line drive past a diving center fielder to score Kelly Levesque to cut the lead to 2-1.

After Carrie Leerberg was hit by a pitch, Melissa Maler drove a ball to right-center field, easily scoring Leerberg and April Luce for a two-run triple to give Baylor the 3-2 lead.

Danelle Arnold followed the two-out hit with a clutch hit of her own, a RBI single to score Maler to give Baylor a 4-2 lead it would never relinquish.

Freshman Lisa Ferguson came into the game in relief of started Cristin Vitek and shut down Troy State in the final three innings to record her fourth save of the season.

Vitek (10-2) picked up the victory for the Lady Bears, allowing two runs on three hits over four innings of work.

Maler had her best game in a Baylor uniform, as the junior transfer went three for four on the game, with a triple, run scored and two RBI.

The most dramatic win of the day came in the Lady Bears second game, as Baylor won its fourth straight game against a ranked opponent, defeating No. 22 Iowa 4-3 in extra innings.

The Hawkeyes jumped out to an early lead over Baylor, as Elisha Huse scored on a two-out RBI single by Laura Chipman in the top of the second inning to give Iowa an early 1-0 lead.

Baylor would grab the lead right back in the third inning on a key bases loaded hit from April Luce.

With two outs and runners on second and third, Iowa intentionally walked Kelly Osburn to load the bases with Luce at the plate. After falling behind 0-2 in the count, Luce worked the count full before blasting a shot over the center-fielder, scoring Kim Wilmoth, Levesque and Osburn to give Baylor a 3-1 lead.

Iowa fought back, however, as the Hawkeyes managed single runs in the fourth and the sixth to tie the game at 3-3.

Baylor had chances to put the game away in the sixth and seventh; but, Iowa managed to work out of a bases loaded jam in the sixth and a lead-off single by Wilmoth in the seventh to send the game into extra-innings.

With the international tie-breaker rule in effect, a pair of stellar defensive plays by the Lady Bears allowed Baylor to come to the plate in the bottom of the ninth with a chance to win.

In the top of the eighth inning, Iowa had a runner on third and only one out. The Hawkeyes' Emily Gerlick then hit a line drive destined for center field before Leerberg made a diving catch at second base to preserve the tie game. Ferguson managed to retire the next Iowa batter to end the threat.

After failing to score in the bottom of the inning, Iowa threatened again in the ninth. However, a leaping catch at third base by Stephanie Pomes kept the game tied at three as the Lady Bears came to bat in the bottom of the inning.

After Pomes sacrificed Arnold to third and Wilmoth was hit by the pitch, Levesque came to the plate with a chance to win the game for Baylor.

On the fourth pitch from Iowa starter Ali Arnold, Levesque hit a line drive that skipped off the left-fielder's glove, allowing Arnold to score the game-winning run and secure the tenth straight victory for Baylor.

Ferguson picked up the win for Baylor, tossing all nine innings for her seventh complete game of the season, allowing two earned runs on eight hits.

Luce led the attack for Baylor at the plate in the victory, going two for three with three RBI in the game. Wilmoth also added two hits for the Lady Bears in the game.

Baylor will put its win streak on the line again tomorrow, as the Lady Bears continue round-robin play at the Speedline Classic when the team faces Boston at 5:00 p.m. Following the game, Baylor will play Team USA in an exhibition match. First pitch against the national Olympic team will take place at 8:00 p.m.