Baylor
Nicholls State
Osburn Leads Softball to Sweep
4/20/2006 12:00:00 AM | Softball
April 20, 2006
WACO, Texas - Led by Big 12 Conference Player of the Week Kelly Osburn, who reached base in all seven plate appearances on the day, the No. 19 Baylor softball team cruised to a pair of wins over Nicholls State in action at Getterman Stadium.
Baylor defeated the Colonels, 8-0, in five innings in game one before the Lady Bears claimed a 9-3 victory over Nicholls State in a game called in the fifth inning due to rain. With the wins, Baylor improves to 31-17 on the season while Nicholls State falls to 19-27 on the year.
A week after the duo combined for a no-hitter, Brittany Turner and Ashley Monceaux teamed up to throw a one-hit shutout in the first game of the day as the Lady Bears cruised to an eight-run victory.
The Lady Bears would get all the scoring they would need with a single run in the third as Kylie Conroy delivered a RBI single to score Tessa Lynam from second to give Baylor a 1-0 lead.
Baylor added two more runs in the fourth as Harmony Schwethelm and Brette Reagan each recorded RBI in the inning as the Lady Bears took a 3-0 lead into the fifth.
After Nicholls State failed to score in the top of the inning, Baylor exploded for five runs in the bottom of the frame to end the game. Lynam led off the inning with her ninth home run of the season to make the score 4-0. Schwethelm followed with a two-run single to make the score 6-0 as Osburn also scored on the play on a fielding error to give the Lady Bears a seven-run cushion.
Regan took advantage of the miscue as she followed with a RBI single to left, scoring Osburn from third as the Lady Bears claimed the 8-0, run-rule victory.
Turner picked up the victory for the Lady Bears in game one, allowing only one hit while striking out three in four innings of work as she improved to 4-3 on the season.
Ashley Monceaux picked up her first career save after she entered the contest with Baylor holding a three-run lead in the fifth, tossing one inning without allowing a hit.
Jessica Barksdale took the loss for Nicholls State after allowing eight runs on nine hits in 4.2 innings of work as she fell to 6-9 on the season. It was more of the same for the Lady Bears in game two as Osburn's 3-for-3 performance with two home runs highlighted a rain-shortened, 9-3 Baylor victory.
Nicholls State jumped out to an early 3-1 lead with single runs in the first, second and third; however, Baylor responded by scoring eight unanswered runs to come away with the win.
After Osburn led-off the game with her 12th home run of the season, Baylor tied the game with a pair of runs in the bottom of the third. Reagan delivered a RBI ground out as Ashley Monceaux delivered a two-out single up the middle to score Osburn and tie the game.
A pair of three-run innings put the Colonels away as Baylor grabbed the lead for good in the fourth when Lynam scored on a fielding error to give the Lady Bears a 4-3 lead. Osburn made the score 6-3 as she smashed a two-run home run over the left-field light standard, scoring Jordan Daniels, for her 13th home run of the season and 36th of her career.
Lynam put the finishing touches on the day as she roped a three-run home run, her second of the day and 10th of the year, over the left-center field fence to make the score 9-3.
Following Lynam's home run, the officials decided to call the game due to lightning and rain in the area, giving the Lady Bears a rain-shortened, six-run win.
Sarah Hausner picked up the win and improved to 4-0 on the season after tossing two, hitless innings of relief.
Alexandra Austin took the loss after allowing nine runs on 12 hits in 4.1 innings of work as she fell to 2-6 on the year.
Baylor will return to action on Saturday, April 22, when the Lady Bears travel to Stillwater, Okla., to face Oklahoma State in Big 12 Conference action at 2:00 p.m.
