Friday, April 19
Waco, Texas
6:30 PM
Baylor
23-18, 0
2
vs
1
UCF
26-16, 0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
R
H
E
UCF
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
1
2
1
Baylor
1
0
0
0
0
1
X
2
3
0
SB Defeats UCF, 2-1
4/19/2024 10:06:00 PM | Softball
By Jerry Hill
Baylor Bear Insider
With two teams seemingly headed in completely different directions, Baylor softball desperately needed a win in Friday's series opener versus UCF at Getterman Stadium.
That's why Baylor coach Glenn Moore found it hard to "put it into words" when the Bears got a dominant pitching performance from Aliyah Binford (7-9) and a solo home run by Shaylon Govan in the sixth inning to pull out a 2-1 win over a UCF team that had won 10 in a row.
"They believed that the games they've lost, most of them, they should have won or could have won," said Moore, whose team improved to 23-18 overall and 6-13 in the Big 12. "And I think that's allowed them to believe they still have a chance. So, this was a big win, but we've still got a lot of work to do."
Binford helped the Bears snap a four-game losing streak, holding the streaking Knights (26-16, 10-9) to just two hits and four walks while striking out four.
"You don't beat a team that good without having a great effort in the circle," Moore said. "She kept them off-balance. And that's what you do. Hitting is timing. And if you've got a good changeup – it was a game of changeups on both sides – when you have that good of an off-speed and that velocity, then it's going to be hard to score runs, as it was tonight."
Baylor faced a similar challenge against UCF starter Sarah Willis (8-6), who had nearly a 30-mph difference on her pitches, hitting 70 on her fastball and throwing a wicked changeup that dipped into the low 40s.
"That's Dari Orme's velocity with Aliyah Binford's changeup," Moore said. "And she plays with a lot of emotion. I thought our hitters worked extremely hard to foul off the fast stuff and time the slow stuff. Obviously, she pitched a great game and probably deserved to win with that kind of performance. But when you have two that are doing that, somebody's got to win, so I'm glad it was us."
The Bears wasted no time, scoring a run in the bottom of the first. Leadoff hitter Emily Hott was hit by a pitch, moved up to second on a sacrifice bunt by Presleigh Pilon and scored on Willis' 14th wild pitch of the season.
After working around walks in each of the first three innings and leaving two runners stranded in scoring position in the third, Binford gave up a solo homer to Chloe Evans leading off the fourth. Her fifth home run of the season tied the game at 1-1 but ended up being the Knights' only run of the game.
Settling down after walking Ashleigh Griffin, Binford sat down the last 12 batters in a row, getting three-straight groundouts in the seventh.
The game remained deadlock at 1-1 until the sixth, when Govan blasted a 234-foot shot that just cleared the wall in right-center field.
"Whenever you're hitting, you know how it feels off the bat," said Govan, who also hit her fifth of the season. "I knew it was gone when I hit it."
Moore said he wasn't as sure, because "you never take a home run for granted in this park."
"She's such an intelligent hitter," Moore said of Govan, who struck out on her previous at-bat. "It's kind of a chess match on what you're going to throw because (Govan) can hit anybody. But when you're in the wrong timing, they can also beat you. I know it was hit hard enough, I just didn't know if it had the height to get out of here."
Baylor's only other real threat came in the fourth inning, when Sydney Collazos reached on a bunt single and Ana Watson singled through the left side. They both appeared to move up on a double steal, but Kaci West was called for batter's interference when she stepped over the plate as catcher Jada Cody's throw to third base sailed into the outfield.
Trying to win its third conference series of the year, Baylor will face UCF at 11 a.m. Saturday in a game that was moved up because of expected afternoon rain. Sunday's series finale is scheduled for a 12 noon first pitch.
WACO, Texas – Baylor Softball took down UCF, 2-1, Friday night at Getterman Stadium to snap the Knights 10-game win streak.
THE RUNDOWN
The Bears jumped out with an early lead in the Friday night series opener after plating a run in the bottom of the first inning. Emily Hott led off the game by getting hit by a pitch before Presleigh Pilon laid down a sacrifice bunt to move her to second. Shaylon Govan then reached on a fielder's choice as Hott was safe at third to put runners on the corners. A wild pitch from UCF brought Hott home from third to score the Bears' first run of the game.
After allowing a walk in the top of the second, Aliyah Binford and the Bears retired the next three batters which Binford capped off with a strikeout.
UCF threatened with runners in scoring position in the top of the third with two outs, but a groundout ended the threat.
In the top of the fourth, the Knights tied the game after a leadoff home run that would be it as Binford and the Baylor defense shut down the scoring.
Sydney Collazos laid down a bunt single in the bottom of the third before Ana Watson singled to put two runners on, but a batter interference call at the plate stopped the Bears from scoring.
Baylor got the lead back in the bottom of the sixth after Govan launched her fifth home run of the season over the wall in right-center to put the Bears on top 2-1.
After retiring the Knights in order for the last three innings, the Bears secured their sixth conference win of the season.
HIGHLIGHTS
QUOTABLE
Head coach Glenn Moore on getting the win tonight …
"I don't know if I can put it into words. It's just been such a burden. The practices have maintained a high level of intensity and you worry about a team losing confidence, you worry about frustrations leading to inner-squad issues. I think it says a lot about the leadership of this team and the maturity of this team that we haven't gone those routes. They've believed that the games they've lost, most of them, they should have won or could have won. And I think that's allowed them to continue to believe they still have a chance. So, this was a big win, but we've still got a lot of work to do. And I don't think we're too high about it. It's just like our work finally paid off for once, and we've just got to hopefully build some momentum because they're a good team and they're not used to losing, as of late especially. And they're going to come back even better than they were today. And we've got to bring it again tomorrow."
Shaylon Govan on her approach in the box …
"In this game, it's all about failure. So, I'm just trying to take all the information that I'm failing in, in the at-bats, and trying to put in something positive for the team and just to lead us to get more wins and get more confidence under our belt."
UP NEXT
The Bears will face UCF for game two of the series Saturday, April 20 at 11 a.m. CT.
Baylor Bear Insider
With two teams seemingly headed in completely different directions, Baylor softball desperately needed a win in Friday's series opener versus UCF at Getterman Stadium.
That's why Baylor coach Glenn Moore found it hard to "put it into words" when the Bears got a dominant pitching performance from Aliyah Binford (7-9) and a solo home run by Shaylon Govan in the sixth inning to pull out a 2-1 win over a UCF team that had won 10 in a row.
"They believed that the games they've lost, most of them, they should have won or could have won," said Moore, whose team improved to 23-18 overall and 6-13 in the Big 12. "And I think that's allowed them to believe they still have a chance. So, this was a big win, but we've still got a lot of work to do."
Binford helped the Bears snap a four-game losing streak, holding the streaking Knights (26-16, 10-9) to just two hits and four walks while striking out four.
"You don't beat a team that good without having a great effort in the circle," Moore said. "She kept them off-balance. And that's what you do. Hitting is timing. And if you've got a good changeup – it was a game of changeups on both sides – when you have that good of an off-speed and that velocity, then it's going to be hard to score runs, as it was tonight."
Baylor faced a similar challenge against UCF starter Sarah Willis (8-6), who had nearly a 30-mph difference on her pitches, hitting 70 on her fastball and throwing a wicked changeup that dipped into the low 40s.
"That's Dari Orme's velocity with Aliyah Binford's changeup," Moore said. "And she plays with a lot of emotion. I thought our hitters worked extremely hard to foul off the fast stuff and time the slow stuff. Obviously, she pitched a great game and probably deserved to win with that kind of performance. But when you have two that are doing that, somebody's got to win, so I'm glad it was us."
The Bears wasted no time, scoring a run in the bottom of the first. Leadoff hitter Emily Hott was hit by a pitch, moved up to second on a sacrifice bunt by Presleigh Pilon and scored on Willis' 14th wild pitch of the season.
After working around walks in each of the first three innings and leaving two runners stranded in scoring position in the third, Binford gave up a solo homer to Chloe Evans leading off the fourth. Her fifth home run of the season tied the game at 1-1 but ended up being the Knights' only run of the game.
Settling down after walking Ashleigh Griffin, Binford sat down the last 12 batters in a row, getting three-straight groundouts in the seventh.
The game remained deadlock at 1-1 until the sixth, when Govan blasted a 234-foot shot that just cleared the wall in right-center field.
"Whenever you're hitting, you know how it feels off the bat," said Govan, who also hit her fifth of the season. "I knew it was gone when I hit it."
Moore said he wasn't as sure, because "you never take a home run for granted in this park."
"She's such an intelligent hitter," Moore said of Govan, who struck out on her previous at-bat. "It's kind of a chess match on what you're going to throw because (Govan) can hit anybody. But when you're in the wrong timing, they can also beat you. I know it was hit hard enough, I just didn't know if it had the height to get out of here."
Baylor's only other real threat came in the fourth inning, when Sydney Collazos reached on a bunt single and Ana Watson singled through the left side. They both appeared to move up on a double steal, but Kaci West was called for batter's interference when she stepped over the plate as catcher Jada Cody's throw to third base sailed into the outfield.
Trying to win its third conference series of the year, Baylor will face UCF at 11 a.m. Saturday in a game that was moved up because of expected afternoon rain. Sunday's series finale is scheduled for a 12 noon first pitch.
WACO, Texas – Baylor Softball took down UCF, 2-1, Friday night at Getterman Stadium to snap the Knights 10-game win streak.
THE RUNDOWN
The Bears jumped out with an early lead in the Friday night series opener after plating a run in the bottom of the first inning. Emily Hott led off the game by getting hit by a pitch before Presleigh Pilon laid down a sacrifice bunt to move her to second. Shaylon Govan then reached on a fielder's choice as Hott was safe at third to put runners on the corners. A wild pitch from UCF brought Hott home from third to score the Bears' first run of the game.
After allowing a walk in the top of the second, Aliyah Binford and the Bears retired the next three batters which Binford capped off with a strikeout.
UCF threatened with runners in scoring position in the top of the third with two outs, but a groundout ended the threat.
In the top of the fourth, the Knights tied the game after a leadoff home run that would be it as Binford and the Baylor defense shut down the scoring.
Sydney Collazos laid down a bunt single in the bottom of the third before Ana Watson singled to put two runners on, but a batter interference call at the plate stopped the Bears from scoring.
Baylor got the lead back in the bottom of the sixth after Govan launched her fifth home run of the season over the wall in right-center to put the Bears on top 2-1.
After retiring the Knights in order for the last three innings, the Bears secured their sixth conference win of the season.
HIGHLIGHTS
- The Bears recorded three hits in the game off the bats of Ana Watson, Shaylon Govan and Sydney Collazos
- Govan hit her fifth home run of the season
- Aliyah Binford picked up her seventh win in the circle, pitching the complete-game two-hitter and striking out four
- Binford and the Bears defense effectively retired the last nine batters of the game
- BU snapped the Knights' 10-game win streak
- The Bears are back in the win column after four-straight losses
- Baylor is now 23-18 on the season and 6-13 in conference play
QUOTABLE
Head coach Glenn Moore on getting the win tonight …
"I don't know if I can put it into words. It's just been such a burden. The practices have maintained a high level of intensity and you worry about a team losing confidence, you worry about frustrations leading to inner-squad issues. I think it says a lot about the leadership of this team and the maturity of this team that we haven't gone those routes. They've believed that the games they've lost, most of them, they should have won or could have won. And I think that's allowed them to continue to believe they still have a chance. So, this was a big win, but we've still got a lot of work to do. And I don't think we're too high about it. It's just like our work finally paid off for once, and we've just got to hopefully build some momentum because they're a good team and they're not used to losing, as of late especially. And they're going to come back even better than they were today. And we've got to bring it again tomorrow."
Shaylon Govan on her approach in the box …
"In this game, it's all about failure. So, I'm just trying to take all the information that I'm failing in, in the at-bats, and trying to put in something positive for the team and just to lead us to get more wins and get more confidence under our belt."
UP NEXT
The Bears will face UCF for game two of the series Saturday, April 20 at 11 a.m. CT.
-BaylorBears.com-
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Binford, Aliyah (7-9)
L: Sarah Willis (8-6)
Batting:
HR: Chloe Evans 1
RBI: Chloe Evans 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Chloe Evans 1
SB: Johneisha Rowe 1
Batting:
HR: Govan, Shaylon 1
RBI: Govan, Shaylon 1
SH: Pilon, Presleigh 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Hott, Emily 1 ; Govan, Shaylon 1
HBP: Hott, Emily 1
Game Leaders
AB
3
R
1
H
1
RBI
1
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
dp/rf
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
2
R
1
H
0
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
P/INF
/ SoftballC
/ SoftballINF
/ SoftballUTIL
/ Softball
INF
/ SoftballOF
/ Softball
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