March 15, 2014

Baylor 5, Purdue 4, Box | Baylor 2, UCONN 1, Box

THE RUNDOWN
CLEARWATER, Fla. - Neither game was pretty, but the No. 12 Baylor (21-4) softball team improved to 4-0 at the USF Michele Smith Spring Break Tournament Saturday with a 5-4 win over Purdue and a 2-1 win over UCONN. Both games were decided in the bottom of the seventh as Jordan Strickland and Sarah Smith each drove home Clare Hosack for the winning runs in each game, respectively.

Against Purdue (10-16-1), Whitney Canion came in relief of Heather Stearns to pick up her 11^th win of the season striking out four in five innings. She allowed only one hit from the third thru sixth, but the Boilermakers strung together a single, double and triple consecutively in the top of the seventh to score three runs and take a 4-3 lead over Baylor.

However, Kaitlyn Thumann scored on a fielder's choice from Clare Hosack, and Strickland delivered the heroics with two strikes as Hosack came around to score.

Liz Paul limited the Huskies to four hits and matched a career-high with nine strikeouts to pick up her second win of the season. UCONN (5-13) scored its only run in the top of the 7^th on a fielding error by Strickland, but Baylor struck back again.

Ari Hawkins hit an infield single, Linsey Hays doubled Hawkins to third base and Hosack's infield single scored Hawkins to knot the score. Pinch runner Riley Browder tried to score on a wild pitch but was thrown out at the plate for the first out. Then, Smith singled home Hosack to complete the second-straight comeback for Baylor.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Kaitlyn Thumann had two hits vs. Purdue, but her 44-game on-base streak and 11-game hitting streak was halted after a 0-for-3 performance vs. UCONN.
• Thumann (10^th of season), Linsey Hays (6^th), Sarah Smith (6^th) and Justine Young (2^nd) all had multi-hit games vs. Purdue
• Liz Paul recorded her 15^th career complete game and moved to ninth all-time on Baylor's list for complete games.
• Paul matched a career-high with nine strikeouts (vs. Mississippi Valley State, 5/19/12).
• Clare Hosack had her sixth mult-hit game of the season vs. UCONN.

STAT OF THE GAME I
2 - Two walkoff, come-from behind wins for Baylor to move to 21-4 on the season.

WHAT'S NEXT
Baylor closes the USF Tournament with a single game at 8 a.m., CT vs. Penn State, but the team will play an exhibition contest vs. the Netherlands National Team at 10:15 a.m., CT.