No. 14 SB Takes Down Penn State, 4-1

Wednesday, March 6

Waco, Texas

4 PM

Baylor

Penn State

No. 14 SB Takes Down Penn State, 4-1

3/6/2024 8:07:00 PM | Softball

Box Score Box Score

Bears win 12th-straight game

By Jerry Hill
Baylor Bear Insider

WACO, Texas – Aliyah Binford matched her career high with 11 strikeouts, but it was a "perfect defense" that bailed her out at least a couple times in 14^th-ranked Baylor softball's 4-1 win over Penn State Wednesday at Getterman Stadium.

Leftfielder Emily Hott gunned down a runner at third base in the first inning, then first baseman Shaylon Govan threw out the Nittany Lions' Liana Jones at the plate in the second when she tried to score from second on Emily Maddock's infield single.

"We kept our head in some pressure situations, and I like that," said Baylor coach Glenn Moore, whose team won its 12^th-straight game in improving to 13-3.

After wiggling out of trouble in each of the first two innings, Binford settled in to retire eight of the next nine batters she faced.

"I felt pretty strong throughout the game," Binford said, "knowing I had a perfect defense behind me. I had no problem throwing whatever my coach called, every time."

Improving to 5-2, Binford gave up one run on seven hits with one walk and two hit batters.

"(She was) outstanding," Moore said. "That's a tough lineup, they're feisty. They've seen good pitching, and she has double-digit strikeouts, again, keeps them off-balanced."

The Bears threatened in the bottom of the first, when Hott laced a triple into the left-field corner. But with runners on the corner and one out, Penn State starter Mady Volpe (5-2) got Sydney Collazos on a bunt pop-up to the catcher and then struck out Shannon Vivoda.

Volpe sat down eight-straight batters to keep the game a scoreless tie through the first three innings before Govan led off the fourth with what amounted to a swinging bunt. After Ana Watson was hit by a pitch that knocked her batting helmet off, Abi Flores walked to load the bases with two out.

The Bears' first run came across when freshman second baseman Leah Cran was hit by a pitch.
Shortstop Presleigh Pilon ripped a shot down the first-base line for a triple that cleared the bases, but the fair/foul call was overturned on replay.

"I saw it was foul, but I couldn't tell with the girl when she dove over the ball," Pilon said. "But I had a gut feeling it was a foul ball."

Pilon reached base on a fielding error by the Penn State shortstop, allowing Watson to score from third and making it a 2-0 game. Flores scored from third when Taylor Strain lined a single up the middle that glanced off the pitcher.

"We need to get our rhythm back," Moore said. "I'd like to push a few more across. I'd like to hit a few more long balls, but we're finding a way to win."

The Nittany Lions (15-3) broke through with a run in the fifth inning, when Hayline Brunson had a two-out double to left-center field and scored on Kaitlyn Morrison's RBI single up the middle. Binford struck out Gaby Garcia looking to end the fifth, worked a 1-2-3 sixth and then struck out the last two batters to end the game.

"It feels good," Binford said. "It just shows that I've been able to put in the work.'

Baylor answered with a run in the bottom of the fifth, when Govan singled to left, Collazos was hit by a pitch and Flores delivered an RBI single to center that made it 4-1.

"I think if you can get a win against a team like Penn State, you've got to be happy," Moore said. "We did some things really well. We're still not in synch offensively. I can't find that right combination. When you face good pitching, it's their job to keep you off-balance, and they're doing a better job of that than pitchers were at the beginning of the year."

The Bears will host seventh-ranked Oklahoma State (18-2) in the conference-opening series this weekend at Getterman Stadium, starting with Friday's 6:30 p.m. game.

WACO, Texas – No. 14 Baylor Softball defeated Penn State, 4-1, Wednesday afternoon at Getterman Stadium.

The Bears tallied their 12^th-straight win as they have allowed one run or fewer in the last five contests.

THE RUNDOWN
After walking the leadoff batter, Aliyah Binford picked up her first strikeout of the game before allowing the first hit, but the Bears threw out a runner at third base to keep the Nittany Lions off the board.

Emily Hott started things off with a bang in the bottom half of the inning, when she tripled down the left-field line, the Bears' second triple in as many games. Shaylon Govan then drew a walk, but that would be it in the top of the first after back-to-back outs got Penn State out of the jam.

Penn State threatened again in the second inning, but Govan turned in another heads-up play at first base, when she threw out a runner at the plate trying to score from second base on an infield hit.

With nothing happening for both squads in the third inning, Binford picked up her sixth strikeout of the game in the top half of the inning before the Bears got on the board in the fourth.

After Govan hit a leadoff infield single, Ana Watson was hit by a pitch and Abi Flores was walked to load the bases with two outs. Leah Cran then took a pitch to the forearm to bring home the Bears' first run of the game. With the 1-0 lead, Presleigh Pilon then reached on an error that brought the second run home before a single from Taylor Strain plated another run and gave the Bears the 3-0 advantage.

Penn State got a run back in the fifth after a double and two singles, but Binford struck out another to minimize the threat.

The Bears weren't satisfied yet, as Govan singled and Sydney Collazos was hit by a pitch to put two on base again. After a sacrifice bunt from Shannon Vivoda moved runners to second and third, Flores singled to centerfield to record her first RBI of the season and give BU the 4-1 lead.

Baylor took care of business in the sixth, before Binford struck out two more in the seventh, tying a career-high with 11 Ks on the day.

HIGHLIGHTS

Shaylon Govan was 2-for-2 at the plate, scored two runs and was walked once
Taylor Strain, Emily Hott and Abi Flores all recorded one hit apiece
Flores recorded her first-career RBI
Three different batters were hit by a pitch
Aliyah Binford improves to 5-2 on the season, pitching a complete game and tying a career-high with 11 strikeouts
The Bears have allowed one run or less in the last five games
BU is currently on a 12-game win streak

QUOTABLE
Aliyah Binford on her performance in the circle …
" I felt pretty strong throughout the game, knowing I also had a perfect defense behind me. Yeah, I had no problem throwing whatever my coach called every time."

Presleigh Pilon on her performance at shortstop …
"Oh yes, I'm comfortable. I'm pretty comfortable with defense in general. But wherever Coach wants me. I had said that when I transferred in: wherever you want me, I'm ready to play. I played it (SS) back in travel ball, but it's been a few years. A little bit at LSU when I was filling in or playing backup."

Head Coach Glenn Moore on the game …
"I think if you can get a win against a team like Penn State, you've got to be happy. We did some things really well. We're still not in sync offensively, I can't find that right combination. Again, when you face good pitching, it's their job to keep you off balance, and they're doing a better job of that than pitchers were at the beginning of the year. I don't know if that's synergy where you're seeing more of the holes in the swings, but we've got to make quicker adjustments and put more ball in play. We didn't do a great job of that today."

UP NEXT
The Bears will open conference play against No. 7 Oklahoma State as they host the Cowgirls for a three-game series March 8-10 at Getterman Stadium.

-BaylorBears.com-