No. 16/17 SB Run Rules McNeese State in Six

Tuesday, April 10

Waco, Texas

5:00 PM

Baylor

25-9

McNeese State

27-14

McNeese

Baylor

No. 16/17 SB Run Rules McNeese State in Six

4/10/2018 12:00:00 AM | Softball

Box Score

April 10, 2018

Box Score

By Jerry Hill
Baylor Bear Foundation

After wasting a chance to blow the game open in the first inning, the No. 16/17 Baylor softball team (25-9) exploded for seven runs in the sixth and run-ruled the McNeese State Cowgirls, 10-2, Tuesday night at Getterman Stadium.

Goose McGlaun led off the sixth with a triple off the center-field wall, then Taylor Ellis ended it with an RBI single through the left side as the Lady Bears won their fifth in a row and ended the game on the eight-run mercy rule.

"I guess coaches are never happy," Baylor coach Glenn Moore said. "I thought we had an opportunity to really blow this thing open in the first inning with good hitters in the box. . . . The good thing is Regan (Green) held on and threw a really good game and gave us a chance to have a couple big innings and we finally got to them a little bit in the end."

Going the distance, Green (8-2) gave up just two runs (one earned) on eight hits and no walks with seven strikeouts in six innings. It was her third complete game of the year and second win in five days.

"It felt nice to be back in Getterman, playing in front of our home crowd," Green said. "It was just awesome being back here. That really helps as a pitcher when you're pitching in your stadium, you have your fans behind you, as well as having your hitters and your defense."

Green had a throwing error that led to an unearned run in the fourth, then gave up a solo homer to Erika Piancastelli in the top of the sixth to make it a one-run game, 3-2. It was the senior third baseman's 14th home run of the season and 67th of her career.

"They're a good offensive team, but I think she was facing some hitters she shouldn't have faced," Moore said. "Overall, I was pretty happy, she had a lot of strikeouts . . . took care of some outs herself. She needed that kind of game. She hadn't thrown a ton. She had a good game up at Tech (in Friday's 12-8 win). I like to think she's turning the corner right now."

Baylor got on the board in the top of the first when the first four batters reached base on three straight singles and a bases-loaded walk by Carlee Wallace, plating Nicky Dawson. But, with the bases loaded and nobody out, Shelby Friudenberg lined into a double play and McGlaun grounded out to first base.

"That was frustrating," said McGlaun, who went 3-for-4 to raise her batting average to .347. "I think we were trying to get back in the swing of things. And once we finally settled down and started adjusting to their pitches, we started making good things happen."

The Lady Bears tacked on another run in the third on an RBI single by Wallace but missed a chance to add on more when Jessie Scroggins was thrown out at third.

After breaking through with a run in the fourth, the Cowgirls threatened again in the fifth when Taylor Edwards led off with a double over leftfielder Kyla Walker and moved up to third on a bunt single by Aubree Turbeville. On Turbeville's hit, third baseman Caitlin Charlton had the ball bounce off of her and went to the ground clutching her left leg.

"I really can't say (what it is) right now," Moore said of Charlton, who was using crutches after the game. "For her to come out of a game, it says it's hurting. I know she thinks it's something not good. Our prayers are with her, and hopefully it won't be as bad as it seems."

With runners at the corners and nobody out, Green got out of the jam by throwing out Edwards at the plate on Taylor Strother's comebacker to the circle, striking out pinch-hitter Alexandria Saldivar and getting Justyce McClain on a fly to right.

Baylor pushed the lead back to two in the bottom of the fifth, when Walker reached on a single and scored on Scroggins' RBI double to center field.

Piancastelli got McNeese back within one on her blast over the right-field wall, but Baylor preserved the lead with a couple nice plays by Maddison Kettler in right.

"I will tip my hat to Piancastelli. She's a great hitter," Green said. "But, I know that I can beat her with my stuff. I just need to mix it up a little bit and really throw my game. That will help me keep it in the park and give my defense a chance."

McGlaun just missed Baylor's first home run of the season at Getterman Stadium in the sixth with her leadoff triple off the wall in center field. The Lady Bears have been out-homered in their own park this season, 5-0.

"I guess I need to hit the weight room," said McGlaun, who's hit a team-high 11 homers this season.

Moore said, "I wish I knew the answer to that. We've got to play more home games, No. 1. We've got a game with hardly no wind, and we hit it off the wall and Taylor Ellis had a warning-track shot. . . . It's not easy to hit, this is a ballpark that's known for a being a pitcher's park. But, we usually have more (home runs) than our opponents, and this year we haven't hit one yet."

The Lady Bears were able to scratch across seven runs in the sixth without the long ball, though, getting five walks and then back-to-back singles by McGlaun and Ellis to end it.

McGlaun and Walker had three hits apiece for Baylor, while Piancastelli and Brenique Wright each had two for the visiting Cowgirls.

Baylor and McNeese complete the two-game series with a matchup at 4 p.m. Wednesday before the Lady Bears travel to Stillwater, Okla., this weekend for a three-game series at Oklahoma State (28-11, 7-2).

THE RUNDOWN
WACO, Texas - No. 16/17 Baylor softball (25-9, 3-3 Big 12) had a strong showing in the opening game of a two-game midweek set with McNeese State (27-14, 10-5 Southland), running away with a 10-2 (6) win over the Cowgirls on Tuesday evening at Getterman Stadium.

Regan Green (8-2) threw the complete game for the Lady Bears, going all 6.0 frames. Although she allowed eight hits by the Cowgirls, she held McNeese to just two runs, only one that was earned. Her seven strikeout, zero walk effort kept the damage to a minimum and allowed the Lady Bears to maintain their lead from the first inning on.

The offense provided early run support, with Nicky Dawson leading off the home half of the first with a single down the left field line, moving to second and on to third on back-to-back singles by Kyla Walker and Jessie Scroggins.

A walk with the bases loaded by Carlee Wallace earned an easy RBI, bumping the BU lead to 1-0. A line-out double play and groundout would cut the early scoring opportunity short, with BU holding the one-run lead after the first.

Walker got another offensive push going for the Lady Bears in the third, beating out an infield single.

An infield error by the Cowgirls allowed her to advance around to third, scoring on an RBI single up the middle by Wallace, pushing the Lady Bear lead to 2-0.

The Cowgirls would scratch back a run in the top of the fourth on a leadoff Baylor error and two-out RBI single, cutting the BU lead back to one, but the Lady Bears took it back in the home half of the fifth.

Walker legged out another infield single, advancing to second on the second Cowgirl defensive error.

Scroggins pounded a double off of the extended batter's eye over the centerfield wall, easily scoring Walker from second to take the lead back to two, up 3-1 through five.

A leadoff solo home run for the Cowgirls in the top of the sixth again kept the pressure on the Baylor defense and Green, but the Lady Bear offense took over in the bottom of the sixth, hanging on to a 3-2 lead.

Goose McGlaun led off the inning with a triple off the wall in centerfield, with Ellis and pinch hitter Ashley Marchand both drawing walks to load the bases with one out.

An RBI single for Dawson would plate the first run, with a passed ball bringing home a second.

A four-pitch walk for Kyla Walker kept the bases loaded, with back-to-back RBI walks drawn by Scroggins and Shelby Friudenberg to score two more runs, with a third coming across on a wild pitch.

Needing two more runs to finish off the run rule victory, leading 8-2, Goose McGlaun singled through the right side of the infield, beating the throw to first to allow Scroggins to score.

With Madi O'Neal pinch running for Friudenberg and standing on third base, Taylor Ellis drove a ball through the left side of the infield into left field, scoring O'Neal to walk off with the 10-2 run rule victory.

HIGHLIGHTS
- Nicky Dawson (2-for-4), Kyla Walker (3-for-3), Jessie Scroggins (2-for-3), and Goose McGlaun (3-for-4) all carried multi-hit efforts for the Lady Bears.
- Walker has had two or more hits in four of her last five games, now with 10 multi-hit games this season and 51 in her career.
- Scroggins (245 career hits) now sits just two hits back from Naomi Fitzgerald (247, 1998-2001) for the No. 2 spot on Baylor's career hits leaderboard and eight back from Lindsey Cargill (253, 2014-2017) for the top spot.
- Friudenberg (179 career RBI) now trails Chelsi Lake (184, 2004-2007) by only five for the program's RBI record.
- Baylor improves to 22-5 all-time vs. the Cowgirls, including a 15-1 mark in Waco and 16-1 under head coach Glenn Moore.
- Baylor has now won five-straight over the McNeese squad and carries a five-game season winning streak into Wednesday's two-game series finale with the Cowgirls.
- Regan Green won her third-straight decision and has now made back-to-back starts with five or more strikeouts and no walks.

TOP QUOTES
I guess coaches are never happy. I thought we had an opportunity to really blow this thing open in the first inning with good hitters in the box. We didn't get it done. Credit them for getting us out in that situation. We had a couple of baserunning mistakes that we shouldn't be making this time of year. It's one thing to be aggressive, but to not play sharp is another thing. The good thing is Regan held on and threw a really good game and gave us a chance to have a couple of big innings and we finally got to them a little bit in the end." - Baylor head coach Glenn Moore

"I felt great. I know I had my defense behind me. Our hitters certainly backed me up. It felt nice to be back in Getterman, playing in front of our home crowd. It was just awesome being back here. That really helps as a pitcher when you're pitching in your stadium, you have your fans behind you, as well as having your hitters and your defense." - Baylor pitcher Regan Green

"It was nice to finally capitalize on those runners we were getting and the walks that they were giving us. It was nice that we were having better at-bats against those pitchers." - Baylor infielder Goose McGlaun

WHAT'S NEXT
The Lady Bears look to sweep the season series with McNeese, going for its third win in 2018 over the Cowgirls on Wednesday, April 11, at 4 p.m. at Getterman Stadium.

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