Friday, March 28
Waco, Texas
6:30 PM
Baylor
14-20, 0
1
vs
0
UCF
21-15-1, 0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
R
H
E
UCF
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
4
0
Baylor
1
0
0
0
0
0
X
1
4
0
SB Shuts Out UCF in Series Opener, 1-0
3/28/2025 9:28:00 PM | Softball
Lillie Walker tosses a complete game shutout
Jerry Hill
Baylor Bear Insider
WACO, Texas – Far from the classic dominant ace pitcher that will blow it by batters, Baylor left-hander Lillie Walker just tries to throw strikes and let her defense back her up.
That formula worked to perfection Friday night as Walker (4-6) tossed a complete-game four-hit shutout to lead the Bears (14-20, 3-7) to a 1-0 win over the UCF Knights (21-15-1, 3-7) in the series opener at Getterman Stadium.
"That was a better game than what I thought she threw up in Stillwater," Baylor coach Glenn Moore said of last Friday's 1-0 win at 13th-ranked Oklahoma State. "I just think the team is getting confident behind her. She's just really hard to time and get on, and she mixes speeds so well. it's a pitching performance out there, it's not just blowing it by people."
Walker struck out just four of the 26 batters she faced, but induced 11 groundball outs and five flyouts, the game ending when catcher Abi Flores picked off Coco Jaimes with a laser throw to first base and a swipe tag by Shaylon Govan.
"It was amazing," said Govan, who was 1-for-2 with a walk and a single. "Abi was like, 'Okay, if she gets a crazy lead, I'm throwing.' I told her, 'Okay, just give me the signal, and I've got you.' But the first base coach was already worried because she was like, 'She will pick, watch the first baseman.' So, it was great that we actually got it even after she said that."
Govan pumped her fist, and flashing lights set off the postgame celebration for a Baylor team that had dropped seven of its previous eight games.
"I think it's huge, especially in the beginning of the series," said Walker, who has thrown complete games in each of her last four starts after none in her first 85 collegiate games. "This is a big series for us and a good opponent on the other side. We need to bring it every game. So, starting off on a high will definitely carry us through."
Scoring a run or less in six of its last eight games, Baylor scratched across a run in the first inning off UCF pitcher Isabella Vega (6-3), who shut out third-ranked Florida two nights earlier.
After back-to-back walks by Turiya Coleman and Govan, Presleigh Pilon delivered a two-out RBI single up the middle that plated Coleman.
"That was big, because (Vega is) a good pitcher," Govan said. "She's very spinny and has great movement. It was good for Presleigh to step up and show that she's capable and that she could put the team on her back. And that's what she did."
The Bears threatened again in the third, when Coleman and Govan delivered consecutive one-out hits to put a pair of runners in scoring position with one out. But Vega struck out Flores looking and got Pilon on a pop-up to short.
UCF's best scoring opportunity came in the top of the fourth, when Aubrey Evans and Beth Damon had back-to-back line-drive singles. But Walker worked out of that jam and retired 10 of the next 11 batters before running into a little two-out trouble in the seventh.
Staying alive with a two-out, pinch-hit single through the left side by Kelly Yarnell, the Knights put the tying run in scoring position when Jaimes walked. Flores snuffed out that threat with her rifle throw to first to end the game.
"No doubt, one of the few advantages a left-handed catcher has is the play at first," Moore said. "To play with no fear there. You've got the tying run on second base. And if something gets away there, it's out in right field, and you may give up the lead. That showed me that we're still playing without fear and playing to win."
Baylor goes for the series win in Saturday's 2 p.m. game, with the series finale at 11 a.m. Sunday.
"Really grateful to have a mind like (pitching coach Britni Sneed Newman) calling pitches for me," Walker said. "I'm proud to say, in my fifth year, I've built my skills up and built my stamina up . . . to be able to get to where I can throw full games consistently. I'm proud of myself for that."
WACO, Texas – Baylor Softball shut out UCF in its series opener, 1-0, Friday night at Getterman Stadium.
THE RUNDOWN
Baylor started off strong against the Knights, as Lillie Walker and the Baylor defense only allowed one baserunner in the first before an inning-ending strikeout ended the potential threat.
With one out in the bottom half of the first, Turiya Coleman and Shaylon Govan drew back-to-back walks to put two on. After a strikeout gave the Bears two outs, Presleigh Pilon laced a single up the middle to plate Coleman from second and put BU on top, 1-0.
Retiring UCF in order in the top of the second Walker picked up two more strikeouts to bring her total to three in the game.
After a quiet second, the Bears threatened again in the third when Coleman and Govan again went back-to-back but this time with singles and put runners on second and third, but BU wasn't able to capitalize.
UCF got runners on and in scoring position in the top of the fourth, but the BU defense left them stranded.
Faith Piper singled for the Bears in the bottom of the fourth but that would be all for both teams until the sixth.
UCF singled in the sixth and got two runners on in the top of the seventh, but Abi Flores came up big when she picked off the runner at first with two outs to win the game and give Baylor the 1-0 victory.
HIGHLIGHTS
QUOTABLE
Head Coach Glenn Moore on Lillie's performance …
"That was a better game than what I thought she threw up in Stillwater, so I just think the team is getting confident behind her. Amber made an outstanding play. She's just really hard to time and get on and mixes speed so well. It's a pitching performance out there, it's not just blowing it by people."
UP NEXT
The Bears will host UCF for game two of the three-game conference series Saturday, March 29, at Getterman Stadium.
- BaylorBears.com -
Baylor Bear Insider
WACO, Texas – Far from the classic dominant ace pitcher that will blow it by batters, Baylor left-hander Lillie Walker just tries to throw strikes and let her defense back her up.
That formula worked to perfection Friday night as Walker (4-6) tossed a complete-game four-hit shutout to lead the Bears (14-20, 3-7) to a 1-0 win over the UCF Knights (21-15-1, 3-7) in the series opener at Getterman Stadium.
"That was a better game than what I thought she threw up in Stillwater," Baylor coach Glenn Moore said of last Friday's 1-0 win at 13th-ranked Oklahoma State. "I just think the team is getting confident behind her. She's just really hard to time and get on, and she mixes speeds so well. it's a pitching performance out there, it's not just blowing it by people."
Walker struck out just four of the 26 batters she faced, but induced 11 groundball outs and five flyouts, the game ending when catcher Abi Flores picked off Coco Jaimes with a laser throw to first base and a swipe tag by Shaylon Govan.
"It was amazing," said Govan, who was 1-for-2 with a walk and a single. "Abi was like, 'Okay, if she gets a crazy lead, I'm throwing.' I told her, 'Okay, just give me the signal, and I've got you.' But the first base coach was already worried because she was like, 'She will pick, watch the first baseman.' So, it was great that we actually got it even after she said that."
Govan pumped her fist, and flashing lights set off the postgame celebration for a Baylor team that had dropped seven of its previous eight games.
"I think it's huge, especially in the beginning of the series," said Walker, who has thrown complete games in each of her last four starts after none in her first 85 collegiate games. "This is a big series for us and a good opponent on the other side. We need to bring it every game. So, starting off on a high will definitely carry us through."
Scoring a run or less in six of its last eight games, Baylor scratched across a run in the first inning off UCF pitcher Isabella Vega (6-3), who shut out third-ranked Florida two nights earlier.
After back-to-back walks by Turiya Coleman and Govan, Presleigh Pilon delivered a two-out RBI single up the middle that plated Coleman.
"That was big, because (Vega is) a good pitcher," Govan said. "She's very spinny and has great movement. It was good for Presleigh to step up and show that she's capable and that she could put the team on her back. And that's what she did."
The Bears threatened again in the third, when Coleman and Govan delivered consecutive one-out hits to put a pair of runners in scoring position with one out. But Vega struck out Flores looking and got Pilon on a pop-up to short.
UCF's best scoring opportunity came in the top of the fourth, when Aubrey Evans and Beth Damon had back-to-back line-drive singles. But Walker worked out of that jam and retired 10 of the next 11 batters before running into a little two-out trouble in the seventh.
Staying alive with a two-out, pinch-hit single through the left side by Kelly Yarnell, the Knights put the tying run in scoring position when Jaimes walked. Flores snuffed out that threat with her rifle throw to first to end the game.
"No doubt, one of the few advantages a left-handed catcher has is the play at first," Moore said. "To play with no fear there. You've got the tying run on second base. And if something gets away there, it's out in right field, and you may give up the lead. That showed me that we're still playing without fear and playing to win."
Baylor goes for the series win in Saturday's 2 p.m. game, with the series finale at 11 a.m. Sunday.
"Really grateful to have a mind like (pitching coach Britni Sneed Newman) calling pitches for me," Walker said. "I'm proud to say, in my fifth year, I've built my skills up and built my stamina up . . . to be able to get to where I can throw full games consistently. I'm proud of myself for that."
WACO, Texas – Baylor Softball shut out UCF in its series opener, 1-0, Friday night at Getterman Stadium.
THE RUNDOWN
Baylor started off strong against the Knights, as Lillie Walker and the Baylor defense only allowed one baserunner in the first before an inning-ending strikeout ended the potential threat.
With one out in the bottom half of the first, Turiya Coleman and Shaylon Govan drew back-to-back walks to put two on. After a strikeout gave the Bears two outs, Presleigh Pilon laced a single up the middle to plate Coleman from second and put BU on top, 1-0.
Retiring UCF in order in the top of the second Walker picked up two more strikeouts to bring her total to three in the game.
After a quiet second, the Bears threatened again in the third when Coleman and Govan again went back-to-back but this time with singles and put runners on second and third, but BU wasn't able to capitalize.
UCF got runners on and in scoring position in the top of the fourth, but the BU defense left them stranded.
Faith Piper singled for the Bears in the bottom of the fourth but that would be all for both teams until the sixth.
UCF singled in the sixth and got two runners on in the top of the seventh, but Abi Flores came up big when she picked off the runner at first with two outs to win the game and give Baylor the 1-0 victory.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Lillie Walker tossed a complete game shut out
- Walker picks up her second shutout of the season and fourth-career complete game
- Turiya Coleman, Shaylon Govan, Presleigh Pilon and Faith Piper all recorded a hit
- Pilon tallied the Bears' lone RBI
- Coleman scored the Bears' only run
- This marks the Bears' fifth-straight one-run game against the Knights
- BU limited UCF to just four hits and two walks
- Neither team recorded an extra-base hit in the contest
- The Bears are now 11-2 all-time against UCF
QUOTABLE
Head Coach Glenn Moore on Lillie's performance …
"That was a better game than what I thought she threw up in Stillwater, so I just think the team is getting confident behind her. Amber made an outstanding play. She's just really hard to time and get on and mixes speed so well. It's a pitching performance out there, it's not just blowing it by people."
UP NEXT
The Bears will host UCF for game two of the three-game conference series Saturday, March 29, at Getterman Stadium.
- BaylorBears.com -
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Walker, Lillie (4-6)
L: Isabella Vega (6-3)
Batting:
SH: Sierra Humphreys 1
Base Running:
PO: Coco Jaimes 1
Batting:
RBI: Pilon, Presleigh 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Coleman, Turiya 1
Game Leaders
AB
2
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
AB
2
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
1
AB
2
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
C/INF
/ Softball
C/UTL
/ SoftballINF
/ SoftballINF
/ SoftballINF
/ Softball
P
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