April 19, 2006

Box Score

COLLEGE STATION, Texas - Lisa Ferguson's one-hit, shutout performance highlighted a strong, all-around effort by the No. 19 Baylor softball team as the Lady Bears cruised to a 5-0 win over No. 15 Texas A&M in action at the Aggie Softball Complex on Wednesday. With the win, Baylor improves to 29-17 overall and moves into sole possession of third place in the Big 12 Conference with a record of 8-5 while Texas A&M falls to 30-13, 9-4 in Big 12 play with the loss.

"It was a great all-around effort," head coach Glenn Moore said. "Lisa pitched outstanding and I think we showed as a team we could win without relying on home runs. This is a great confidence builder because we won by playing small-ball and by playing great defense."

Both pitchers had control of the game to start as the game remained scoreless heading into the fourth inning. Baylor got on the board first; however, as the Lady Bears took a 1-0 lead in the fourth inning. The Lady Bears loaded the bases with only one out as Kylie Conroy stepped to the plate and delivered a high chopper to short, scoring Brette Reagan, as Baylor grabbed a one-run advantage.

The Lady Bears extended the lead to two runs in the fifth as Reagan delivered a clutch, two-out single up the middle, scoring Romero from third to give Baylor a 2-0 lead.

After Texas A&M was unable to score in the bottom of the inning, Baylor added three insurance runs in the sixth to take a commanding 5-0 lead. Tessa Lynam delivered a one-out, RBI double to the right-center field wall, scoring Conroy from first to make the score 3-0. Baylor's next run came on a perfectly executed double steal as pinch-runner Nicole Jackson stole home following a Jordan Daniels steal of third to give the Lady Bears a four-run lead.

Baylor's final run in the inning came when Daniels scored on a wild pitch as the Lady Bears took a 5-0 lead into the bottom of the inning.

The lead was more than enough for Ferguson as the junior, right-hander pitched a gem throughout. Hitless through five innings, the Aggies only hit in the contest came when Sharonda McDonald barely beat out an infield single as Ferguson managed to retire the final six batters to record her eighth shutout of the season.

For the contest, Ferguson allowed only one hit while striking out three as she recorded her 19th complete game of the season and the 19th shutout of her career as she moved into sole possession of third-place on Baylor's career shutout list.

Amanda Scarborough took the loss for Texas A&M after allowing five runs on six hits as she fell to 14-6 on the season.

The win was Baylor's first over Texas A&M in College Station since 2002 as the Lady Bears improved to 13-14-1 all-time against the Aggies since the softball program was reinstated in 1996.

Baylor will return to action on Thursday, April 20, when the Lady Bears return home to face Nicholls State in a doubleheader beginning at 4:00 p.m. For tickets, fans can call the Baylor ticket office at 254-710-1000 or 1-800-BAYLOR-U.