'FULL TEAM EFFORT'
5/20/2024 3:58:00 PM | Softball
Bears win with timely hitting, Crandall's pitching, Strain's outfield assist
By Jerry Hill
Baylor Bear Insider
LAFAYETTE, La. – Glenn Moore admits that he "didn't think we had a shot" when Baylor centerfielder Taylor Strain threw home to try to cut down Louisiana's Cecilia Vasquez at the plate on Maddie Hayden's one-out single in the sixth inning of Sunday's Lafayette Region final.
"I guess I'd say I was surprised," Moore said. "Not that I didn't think she could do it, but it had to be executed perfectly. I didn't think we had a shot at her."
In a bang-bang play, catcher Sydney Collazos took the throw from Strain and put the tag on Vasquez, preserving a one-run lead in the Bears' 4-3 win over the Ragin' Cajuns in a winner-take-all final that sends Baylor (35-21) to its seventh Super Regional in program history.
"It was right on-line," said Collazos, who also went 2-for-2 with her third homer of the season. "I was going to do whatever I could, except for obstructing the base, to get that play made. And she set me up perfectly. She's a phenomenal outfielder."
It was the second huge defensive play by Strain, who robbed a home run by Ole Miss's Paige Smith with a catch over the wall in the Bears' 3-1 tournament-opening win on Friday.
"I'm definitely trying to keep it on the right side (of the plate), but I want to give Sydney a lane" Strain said of her second outfield assist of the season. "But in the moment, you're just trying to get rid of (the ball). . . . I had confidence in Sydney, just knowing she was going to do everything she could with whatever throw I (made)."
That was just one play – but arguably the biggest – in a game full of them.
After getting run-ruled in the first game of the day, 13-0, Emily Hott's second leadoff home run of the weekend "really set the tone" in the decisive game, Collazos said.
"They put up a 13 spot on us, they beat us 13-0," she said. "And (Hott) came out swinging, just to let them know that it's not going to happen again. You're not going to shut us out again. To shut out our offense, credit to (Louisiana's) pitchers and their defense, but she sent the message that we were ready."
Moore said his message in the 30 minutes between the two games was to simply "minimize what had just taken place."
"I talked about a couple situations where teams had come back from that first loss, that we had come back from (a first loss) and just pointed out some situations where it was real. I tried to make it real to them that it could be done. It was up to them to get in a good headspace and get refocused, and I left it up to the seniors."
Hott, one of those seniors, got things started with that first-inning homer to centerfield off Louisiana starter Chloe Riasetto.
"That set the good vibes," said sophomore pitcher RyLee Crandall (16-8), who tossed her 13th complete game of the season and picked up her second win of the weekend over the Ragin' Cajuns. "That was her sign of having my back. . . . Sydney said, 'Now way this is going to be our last game.' I think Emily proved that and sent a message."
When Louisiana answered with a pair of unearned runs in the bottom of the first, Collazos led off the top of the second inning with her third home of the season, easily clearing the wall in left field.
"I told so many people this weekend that I was going to do it," Collazos said. "So, what a better time to do it. I was kind of surprised, because I actually waited on the changeup. I think it was a changeup."
Much like the play at the plate, Crandall wasn't surprised by the Collazos homer that tied up the game at 2-2.
"Here's the thing, we were roommates this weekend, and she's been telling me," Crandall said. "She told me this morning, 'I'm going to hit a home run.' . . . And when she came to home plate, she said, 'I told you.'''
The Ragin' Cajuns regained the lead with three-straight singles in the third, Vasquez driving in a run with a hit into left field just over the third-base bag. But with a chance for Louisiana to pad the lead, Aliyah Binford made a diving snag of a line-drive shot by Hayden.
Settling in, Crandall retired eight-consecutive batters and didn't allow a run over the last four innings, scattering nine hits while giving up just one earned run.
"I can't say enough about RyLee Crandall," Moore said, "just battling with one of the top offenses that we've seen this year, going toe-to-toe with them and letting our defense help her, but also just staying on top of it."
Still trailing by one going into the fifth inning, the Bears strung together back-to-back hits by Strain and Hott, who moved up to second and third on a sacrifice bunt by Presleigh Pilon. Strain scored the tying run on a sacrifice fly to deep center field by Shaylon Govan, then Binford drove in what turned out to be the game-winning run with a single to left.
"I would have been disappointed had this team not responded that way. You can't see days like today when you're going through the fire," Moore said of Baylor starting out conference play with a 1-8 record. "I don't know that every team would have hung on as long as this one did. But they continued to work, and they love each other as much as any team I've ever seen.
"They're goofy, they cut up, they have fun, they laugh a lot, and they're just a joy to coach. So, it's very rewarding for me as a coach to get to see them rewarded because of that attitude and that effort that they put into the game."
Advancing to a Super Regional for the first time since 2017, the Bears will face fourth-seeded Florida (49-12) this weekend at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium in Gainesville, Fla. Game 1 in the best-of-three series is set for 12 p.m. CT Friday with an ESPN2 broadcast, followed by Game 2 at 11 a.m. CT Saturday.
"Even the dugout, the people that aren't on the field," Strain said, "they're doing just as much as we are because they're here picking up every single person. It's a full team effort, not just seniors. We all love each other."
Baylor Bear Insider
LAFAYETTE, La. – Glenn Moore admits that he "didn't think we had a shot" when Baylor centerfielder Taylor Strain threw home to try to cut down Louisiana's Cecilia Vasquez at the plate on Maddie Hayden's one-out single in the sixth inning of Sunday's Lafayette Region final.
"I guess I'd say I was surprised," Moore said. "Not that I didn't think she could do it, but it had to be executed perfectly. I didn't think we had a shot at her."
In a bang-bang play, catcher Sydney Collazos took the throw from Strain and put the tag on Vasquez, preserving a one-run lead in the Bears' 4-3 win over the Ragin' Cajuns in a winner-take-all final that sends Baylor (35-21) to its seventh Super Regional in program history.
"It was right on-line," said Collazos, who also went 2-for-2 with her third homer of the season. "I was going to do whatever I could, except for obstructing the base, to get that play made. And she set me up perfectly. She's a phenomenal outfielder."
It was the second huge defensive play by Strain, who robbed a home run by Ole Miss's Paige Smith with a catch over the wall in the Bears' 3-1 tournament-opening win on Friday.
"I'm definitely trying to keep it on the right side (of the plate), but I want to give Sydney a lane" Strain said of her second outfield assist of the season. "But in the moment, you're just trying to get rid of (the ball). . . . I had confidence in Sydney, just knowing she was going to do everything she could with whatever throw I (made)."
That was just one play – but arguably the biggest – in a game full of them.
After getting run-ruled in the first game of the day, 13-0, Emily Hott's second leadoff home run of the weekend "really set the tone" in the decisive game, Collazos said.
"They put up a 13 spot on us, they beat us 13-0," she said. "And (Hott) came out swinging, just to let them know that it's not going to happen again. You're not going to shut us out again. To shut out our offense, credit to (Louisiana's) pitchers and their defense, but she sent the message that we were ready."
Moore said his message in the 30 minutes between the two games was to simply "minimize what had just taken place."
"I talked about a couple situations where teams had come back from that first loss, that we had come back from (a first loss) and just pointed out some situations where it was real. I tried to make it real to them that it could be done. It was up to them to get in a good headspace and get refocused, and I left it up to the seniors."
Hott, one of those seniors, got things started with that first-inning homer to centerfield off Louisiana starter Chloe Riasetto.
"That set the good vibes," said sophomore pitcher RyLee Crandall (16-8), who tossed her 13th complete game of the season and picked up her second win of the weekend over the Ragin' Cajuns. "That was her sign of having my back. . . . Sydney said, 'Now way this is going to be our last game.' I think Emily proved that and sent a message."
When Louisiana answered with a pair of unearned runs in the bottom of the first, Collazos led off the top of the second inning with her third home of the season, easily clearing the wall in left field.
"I told so many people this weekend that I was going to do it," Collazos said. "So, what a better time to do it. I was kind of surprised, because I actually waited on the changeup. I think it was a changeup."
Much like the play at the plate, Crandall wasn't surprised by the Collazos homer that tied up the game at 2-2.
"Here's the thing, we were roommates this weekend, and she's been telling me," Crandall said. "She told me this morning, 'I'm going to hit a home run.' . . . And when she came to home plate, she said, 'I told you.'''
The Ragin' Cajuns regained the lead with three-straight singles in the third, Vasquez driving in a run with a hit into left field just over the third-base bag. But with a chance for Louisiana to pad the lead, Aliyah Binford made a diving snag of a line-drive shot by Hayden.
Settling in, Crandall retired eight-consecutive batters and didn't allow a run over the last four innings, scattering nine hits while giving up just one earned run.
"I can't say enough about RyLee Crandall," Moore said, "just battling with one of the top offenses that we've seen this year, going toe-to-toe with them and letting our defense help her, but also just staying on top of it."
Still trailing by one going into the fifth inning, the Bears strung together back-to-back hits by Strain and Hott, who moved up to second and third on a sacrifice bunt by Presleigh Pilon. Strain scored the tying run on a sacrifice fly to deep center field by Shaylon Govan, then Binford drove in what turned out to be the game-winning run with a single to left.
"I would have been disappointed had this team not responded that way. You can't see days like today when you're going through the fire," Moore said of Baylor starting out conference play with a 1-8 record. "I don't know that every team would have hung on as long as this one did. But they continued to work, and they love each other as much as any team I've ever seen.
"They're goofy, they cut up, they have fun, they laugh a lot, and they're just a joy to coach. So, it's very rewarding for me as a coach to get to see them rewarded because of that attitude and that effort that they put into the game."
Advancing to a Super Regional for the first time since 2017, the Bears will face fourth-seeded Florida (49-12) this weekend at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium in Gainesville, Fla. Game 1 in the best-of-three series is set for 12 p.m. CT Friday with an ESPN2 broadcast, followed by Game 2 at 11 a.m. CT Saturday.
"Even the dugout, the people that aren't on the field," Strain said, "they're doing just as much as we are because they're here picking up every single person. It's a full team effort, not just seniors. We all love each other."
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