Tuesday, May 24
Fort Collins, CO
4 PM
Baylor
30-24
18
vs
8
North Alabama
40-19
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
R
H
E
Baylor
0
2
4
1
4
0
7
18
20
1
North Alabama
2
0
0
0
2
2
2
8
12
2
SB Sets Records in Dominate Win Over North Alabama, 18-8
5/24/2022 11:35:00 PM | Softball
By Jerry Hill
Baylor Bear Insider
FORT COLLINS, Colo. – Ana Watson has taken a liking to the thin air in Fort Collins, at an elevation of 5,004 feet above sea level.
After hitting a grand-slam home run in Sunday's 10-2, run-rule victory over UC San Diego, the fourth-year sophomore outfielder blasted a pair of homers and drove in a career-best five runs to lift Baylor softball (30-24) to an 18-8 win over North Alabama Tuesday at the National Invitational Softball Championship.
"Ana Watson is seeing beach balls right now," coach Glenn Moore said of Watson, who had hit two homers in 132 career games before hitting three in two games at TC Colorado Field.
The second-seeded Bears advance to the single-elimination championship round and will face the winner of the Virginia-Kansas game at 2:30 p.m. CT Wednesday, with the championship set for 12 p.m. Thursday.
"It's great to see this team playing well and loving this game," Moore said.
North Alabama (40-19) took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning, when Haley Jones drove in Lexie Harper with a double to right-center field and came around to score on Georgia Land's sacrifice fly.
Baylor didn't waste any time answering, tying the ballgame on Watson's two-run homer off UNA starter Maci Birdyshaw (18-5) in the second inning.
After Aliyah Binford (11-6) worked a 1-2-3 bottom half of the frame, the Bears took the lead for good with a four-run explosion in the third. Run-scoring hits by Kaci West and Josie Bower chased Birdyshaw, with back-to-back singles by Sydney Collazos and Zadie LaValley pushing the lead to 6-2.
With Binford putting up three-straight zeroes, Baylor added a solo homer by Emily Hott in the fourth and another four-run outburst in the fifth. Watson blasted a two-run homer to left, then Taylor Strain delivered a two-out, two-run single up the middle to make it 11-2.
One out away from Baylor's second-straight run-rule victory, North Alabama kept the game alive with Harley Stokes' two-run homer off Dari Orme, who saw her first game action since May 8.
"It was great to get (Dari) back in the circle for an inning," Moore said. "We will need her to win this."
UNA pulled within 11-6 on a pair of two-out runs in the sixth, but Baylor answered with a seven-run seventh that included two-run homers by McKenzie Wilson and pinch-hitter Katie Ellington. Wilson, Strain, West, Bower and Watson had three hits apiece, as the Bears finished with a season-high 20 hits and a school record-tying five home runs.
Central Arkansas (37-20) advanced through the top half of the bracket with a 5-3 win over top-seeded Virginia and will face the winner between UNLV and North Alabama in the other championship semifinal round at 5 p.m. CT.
THE RUNDOWN
FORT COLLINS, Colo. – Baylor softball tied a single-game home run record as the Bears took down North Alabama, 18-8, Tuesday afternoon at the National Invitational Softball Championship.
After a 10-2, run-rule win over UC San Diego on Sunday, the Bears' offense was on fire again tonight after falling behind 2-0 in the first inning. After a leadoff infield single from Kaci West, in the second, Ana Watson hit her second home run in as many games to knot the game at two apiece.
Taylor Strain and West each singled in the top of the third before Josie Bower ripped one down the left field line to bring in a run. The game was then suspended for 30 minutes due to a rain delay, but that didn't stop the Bears' offense. Watson walked before back-to-back singles from Sydney Collazos, and then Zadie LaValley plated two more for the Bears to take the 6-2 lead.
Emily Hott got in on the home-run action in the fourth as she hit the Bears' second long ball of the day, a solo shot over the wall in right field.
Bower recorded her third hit of the day to lead off the fifth before Watson came up big again with a two-RBI opposite-field home run over the 14-foot wall in left field.
Continuing on the streak of runs, Taylor Strain delivered a two-out, two-run single up the middle, giving the Bears an 11-2 lead.
Trying to seal the run-rule, the Bears were down to their last out in the fifth inning, when the Lions hit a two-run shot over the wall in left-center to pull back within 11-4.
North Alabama got within 11-6 in the sixth inning, but the Bears pounded back with seven runs in the top of the seventh as McKenzie Wilson hit a two-RBI home run followed by doubles from Strain and West. Watson picked up the Bears' eighth extra-base hit of the game as she doubled down the right field line, before Katie Ellington came in as a pinch-hitter and launched her first-career home run, the Bears' fifth of the game.
Aliyah Binford started in the circle for the Bears, striking out five in her 6.0 innings of work. Binford was relieved by Dariana Orme, who pitched the sixth inning in her first outing since May 8th.
The Bears will now advance to the championship bracket, where they will play the winner of the Virginia-Kansas game at 2:30 p.m. CT Wednesday. The championship bracket is now single elimination, with the championship game on Thursday May 26th at 12 p.m. CT.
HIGHLIGHTS
TOP QUOTES
Glenn Moore on the game…
"It's great to see this team playing well and loving this game. It was great to hit five home runs. Ana Watson is seeing beach balls right now. It was also great to get Orme back in the circle for an inning. We will need her to win this."
Baylor Bear Insider
FORT COLLINS, Colo. – Ana Watson has taken a liking to the thin air in Fort Collins, at an elevation of 5,004 feet above sea level.
After hitting a grand-slam home run in Sunday's 10-2, run-rule victory over UC San Diego, the fourth-year sophomore outfielder blasted a pair of homers and drove in a career-best five runs to lift Baylor softball (30-24) to an 18-8 win over North Alabama Tuesday at the National Invitational Softball Championship.
"Ana Watson is seeing beach balls right now," coach Glenn Moore said of Watson, who had hit two homers in 132 career games before hitting three in two games at TC Colorado Field.
The second-seeded Bears advance to the single-elimination championship round and will face the winner of the Virginia-Kansas game at 2:30 p.m. CT Wednesday, with the championship set for 12 p.m. Thursday.
"It's great to see this team playing well and loving this game," Moore said.
North Alabama (40-19) took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning, when Haley Jones drove in Lexie Harper with a double to right-center field and came around to score on Georgia Land's sacrifice fly.
Baylor didn't waste any time answering, tying the ballgame on Watson's two-run homer off UNA starter Maci Birdyshaw (18-5) in the second inning.
After Aliyah Binford (11-6) worked a 1-2-3 bottom half of the frame, the Bears took the lead for good with a four-run explosion in the third. Run-scoring hits by Kaci West and Josie Bower chased Birdyshaw, with back-to-back singles by Sydney Collazos and Zadie LaValley pushing the lead to 6-2.
With Binford putting up three-straight zeroes, Baylor added a solo homer by Emily Hott in the fourth and another four-run outburst in the fifth. Watson blasted a two-run homer to left, then Taylor Strain delivered a two-out, two-run single up the middle to make it 11-2.
One out away from Baylor's second-straight run-rule victory, North Alabama kept the game alive with Harley Stokes' two-run homer off Dari Orme, who saw her first game action since May 8.
"It was great to get (Dari) back in the circle for an inning," Moore said. "We will need her to win this."
UNA pulled within 11-6 on a pair of two-out runs in the sixth, but Baylor answered with a seven-run seventh that included two-run homers by McKenzie Wilson and pinch-hitter Katie Ellington. Wilson, Strain, West, Bower and Watson had three hits apiece, as the Bears finished with a season-high 20 hits and a school record-tying five home runs.
Central Arkansas (37-20) advanced through the top half of the bracket with a 5-3 win over top-seeded Virginia and will face the winner between UNLV and North Alabama in the other championship semifinal round at 5 p.m. CT.
THE RUNDOWN
FORT COLLINS, Colo. – Baylor softball tied a single-game home run record as the Bears took down North Alabama, 18-8, Tuesday afternoon at the National Invitational Softball Championship.
After a 10-2, run-rule win over UC San Diego on Sunday, the Bears' offense was on fire again tonight after falling behind 2-0 in the first inning. After a leadoff infield single from Kaci West, in the second, Ana Watson hit her second home run in as many games to knot the game at two apiece.
Taylor Strain and West each singled in the top of the third before Josie Bower ripped one down the left field line to bring in a run. The game was then suspended for 30 minutes due to a rain delay, but that didn't stop the Bears' offense. Watson walked before back-to-back singles from Sydney Collazos, and then Zadie LaValley plated two more for the Bears to take the 6-2 lead.
Emily Hott got in on the home-run action in the fourth as she hit the Bears' second long ball of the day, a solo shot over the wall in right field.
Bower recorded her third hit of the day to lead off the fifth before Watson came up big again with a two-RBI opposite-field home run over the 14-foot wall in left field.
Continuing on the streak of runs, Taylor Strain delivered a two-out, two-run single up the middle, giving the Bears an 11-2 lead.
Trying to seal the run-rule, the Bears were down to their last out in the fifth inning, when the Lions hit a two-run shot over the wall in left-center to pull back within 11-4.
North Alabama got within 11-6 in the sixth inning, but the Bears pounded back with seven runs in the top of the seventh as McKenzie Wilson hit a two-RBI home run followed by doubles from Strain and West. Watson picked up the Bears' eighth extra-base hit of the game as she doubled down the right field line, before Katie Ellington came in as a pinch-hitter and launched her first-career home run, the Bears' fifth of the game.
Aliyah Binford started in the circle for the Bears, striking out five in her 6.0 innings of work. Binford was relieved by Dariana Orme, who pitched the sixth inning in her first outing since May 8th.
The Bears will now advance to the championship bracket, where they will play the winner of the Virginia-Kansas game at 2:30 p.m. CT Wednesday. The championship bracket is now single elimination, with the championship game on Thursday May 26th at 12 p.m. CT.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Emily Hott hit her second home run of the season
- Ana Watson homered twice in the game for the first time in her career. She now has three home runs in the past two games
- All but one batter recorded a hit
- Josie Bower was 3-for-4 at the plate with an RBI
- This is the Bears' seventh game this season with 10 or more runs
- The Bears' five home runs ties a team record, the last time against Houston in 2020
- The Bears' 18 runs are a new season-high
- BU had a season-high 20 hits
- Five Bears recorded three hits apiece
- Dariana Orme pitched in her first game since May 8th
TOP QUOTES
Glenn Moore on the game…
"It's great to see this team playing well and loving this game. It was great to hit five home runs. Ana Watson is seeing beach balls right now. It was also great to get Orme back in the circle for an inning. We will need her to win this."
- BaylorBears.com -
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Binford, Aliyah (11-6)
L: Maci Birdyshaw (18-5)
Batting:
2B: Strain, Taylor 1 ; West, Kaci 1 ; Bower, Josie 1 ; Watson, Ana 1
HR: Wilson, McKenzie 1 ; Hott, Emily 1 ; Watson, Ana 2 ; Ellington, Katie 1
RBI: Wilson, McKenzie 2 ; Strain, Taylor 2 ; Hott, Emily 1 ; West, Kaci 3 ; Bower, Josie 1 ; Watson, Ana 5 ; Collazos, Sydney 1 ; LaValley, Zadie 1 ; Ellington, Katie 2
SH: Hott, Emily 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Wilson, McKenzie 2 ; Strain, Taylor 2 ; Hott, Emily 2 ; West, Kaci 3 ; Bower, Josie 2 ; Watson, Ana 4 ; Ellington, Katie 1 ; Trochim, Rhein 2
SB: Trochim, Rhein 1
CS: Wilson, McKenzie 1
HBP: Hott, Emily 1
Batting:
2B: Hailey Jones 1
HR: Harley Stokes 1 ; Haven Kirby 1
RBI: Hailey Jones 2 ; Emma Broadfoot 1 ; Harley Stokes 2 ; Georgia Land 1 ; Haven Kirby 2
SF: Georgia Land 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Lexie Harper 1 ; Hailey Jones 1 ; Emma Broadfoot 1 ; Harley Stokes 1 ; Sidney Bevis 1 ; Katie Killen 1 ; Haven Kirby 2
HBP: Sidney Bevis 1
Game Leaders
AB
5
R
2
H
3
RBI
2
AB
5
R
2
H
3
RBI
2
AB
5
R
2
H
3
RBI
1
Players Mentioned
P/INF
/ SoftballOF
/ Softball
C
/ Softball
C
/ Softball
UTIL
/ Softball
C
/ Softball
P
/ SoftballOF
/ Softball
OF
/ SoftballOF
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