No. 16/17 SB Finishes Sweep Over Texas Tech

Sunday, April 8

Lubbock, Texas

12:00 PM

Baylor

24-9, 0

Texas Tech

21-18, 0

Baylor

Texas Tech

No. 16/17 SB Finishes Sweep Over Texas Tech

4/8/2018 12:00:00 AM | Softball

Box Score

April 8, 2018

Box Score

By Jerry Hill
Baylor Bear Foundation

Etching her name in the Baylor softball record book, Shelby Friudenberg blasted her 45th career homer with a line-drive, two-run blast in the fourth inning to help the 16th-ranked Lady Bears finish off a series sweep with a 5-1 win over Texas Tech Sunday afternoon in Lubbock.

"Coming into this weekend, I remembered how the balls flew off the bats when we played Texas Tech two years ago," said Friudenberg, who hit three of Baylor's 12 homers in a series sweep two years ago at hitter-friendly Rocky Johnson Field. "The ball felt really solid coming off the bat. I wasn't sure it was going over, but when it finally did I could breathe again. I'm really excited to break the record, and hopefully I can spread the gap."

The senior first baseman/DP from nearby Bruceville, Texas, passed former All-American Chelsi Lake (44) for the program record, putting her at the top of a list of power hitters that includes Ashley Monceaux, Brette Reagan and Tyssa Lynam.

"It's a huge deal," coach Glenn Moore said of Friudenberg breaking the home run record held by Lake since 2007. "She's a very respected hitter, and to be talked about with the likes of Chelsi Lake, Ashley Monceaux, Brette Reagan and Tessa Lynnam says a lot. To be at the very top of the home run list is a testament to how good she is."

Following up on her two-hit, 14-strikeout gem in Saturday's 2-0 win, Gia Rodoni (14-6) was just as dominant in Sunday's series finale. Recording double-digit strikeouts for the seventh time this season and eighth time in her career, the junior pitcher allowed one run on three hits with 12 strikeouts and no walks.

"She might have had a better game than Saturday," Moore said of Rodoni. "She's been hitting on all cylinders for 14 straight innings. If she made a mistake today, it wasn't costly."

A mistake by Rodoni opened the door for the only run of the game by the Red Raiders, who fell to 21-18 overall and 1-8 in the Big 12. Jessica Hartwell struck out swinging to lead off the first inning but reached on a wild pitch and then scored on Kiana Workman's two-out RBI single to left field to make it 1-0.

Tech starter Erin Edmoundson (13-7) made that lead hold up through the first three innings, holding the Lady Bears (23-9, 3-3) scoreless on just two hits.

That changed in the fourth inning, when Friudenberg followed up a leadoff single by Kyla Walker with her two-run, two-out shot that just cleared the fence in center field to give Baylor a lead it wouldn't relinquish.

Rodoni didn't need it the way she was dominating in the circle, but the Lady Bears added some insurance with three runs in the sixth inning on three hits, two walks, a hit batter and an error.

Three straight singles by pinch-hitter Ashley Marchand, Walker and Jessie Scroggins and a Red Raider error plated the first run. Carlee Wallace drove in a run with an RBI groundout to second off reliever Kassidy Scott, then Maddison Kettler was hit by a pitch after back-to-back walks to Friudenberg and Goose McGlaun.

Heaven Burton had a one-out single in the seventh, but Rodoni struck out the next two batters to close out the game and help Baylor sweep Texas Tech for the fifth straight series.

"It was important to get back to .500 in conference and win the games we're supposed to win and do it on the road," Moore said. "Texas Tech has been playing good ball, and to be able to take all three is a good sign."

The Lady Bears return home to host McNeese State (27-13) in a pair of midweek games on Tuesday and Wednesday before going back on the road to play a three-game series at Oklahoma State (28-11, 7-2) next weekend in Stillwater. OSU swept a series against Kansas this weekend after winning two of three against both Iowa State and Texas Tech.

THE RUNDOWN
LUBBOCK, Texas -- No. 16/17 Baylor softball (24-9, 3-3 Big 12) finished off a three-game sweep over Texas Tech (21-18, 1-8 Big 12), cruising to a 5-1 win on Sunday afternoon at Rocky Johnson Field.

Gia Rodoni (14-6) posted another dominating win in the circle, spinning her second-straight complete game with double-digit strikeouts (12), allowing just three total hits and one run in the opening frame.

Rodoni picked up her first strikeout to the leadoff hitter, but a wild pitch on the third strike allowed her to reach safely. A two-out RBI single would plate the only run of the ballgame for the Red Raiders, with Rodoni retiring 19 of the next 22 Red Raider hitters over six-straight shutout frames.

Trailing 1-0 to the Red Raiders through three, Kyla Walker led off the fourth with a single, moving to second on a sac bunt by Jessie Scroggins.

With two outs, Shelby Friudenberg drilled a line drive, two-run shot that just cleared the fence in center field, putting BU in front and punching Friudenberg into the top spot in Baylor's record books with her 45th career home run.

Holding a 2-1 lead entering the sixth, the Lady Bears would push further ahead with three more runs.

Ashley Marchand pinch hit and led off the frame with a single, with Nicky Dawson reentering to run at first.

A single up the middle by Walker was booted by the Red Raiders in center field, allowing Dawson to score from first and Walker to advance on the throw.

Jessie Scroggins singled up the middle, putting runners on the corners with no outs.

An RBI groundout by Carlee Wallace put Walker across, pushing the second run of the inning across.

After back-to-back walks for Friudenberg and Goose McGlaun, a bases loaded RBI hit by pitch earned by Maddison Kettler scored Scroggins, giving BU a 5-1 lead and allowing Rodoni to close out the game.

HIGHLIGHTS
- Shelby Friudenberg (1-for-2, HR, 2 RBI) broke the program record for home runs (45), passing Chelsi Lake (44, 2004-2007) for the top spot on the career list among Baylor hitters.
- Gia Rodoni (12 strikeouts) spun her seventh game of the season with double-digit strikeouts, the eighth in her career, and her second-straight.
- Kyla Walker (2-for-4, 2 R) posted her second-straight multi-hit effort.
- Baylor has won 15th-straight games over the Red Raiders, securing its sixth-straight series win and its fifth-straight sweep of Tech.

WHAT'S NEXT
The Lady Bears head back to Waco for a pair of midweek games, hosting McNeese State at Getterman Stadium on April 10-11 before hitting the road again for a weekend series at Oklahoma State, running April 13-15 in Stillwater.

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