By Jerry Hill
Baylor Bear Insider
 
WACO, Texas – Facing an explosive BYU offense that leads the Big 12 in home runs (73) and ranks second in batting average (.323), Baylor senior right-hander Lillie Walker quieted the Cougars' bats in throwing a two-hit shutout to lead the Bears to a series-opening 2-0 victory Thursday night at Getterman Stadium.
 
"Phenomenal job by Lillie and our defense to hold down one of the best offenses we have in the Big 12," said Baylor coach Glenn Moore, whose team improved to 24-23 overall and 9-10 in the Big 12. "I think you've got to credit great pitches and great pitch-calling and, of course, great defensive play as well. We had it in all three facets tonight."
 
While Walker (10-7) was able to keep BYU hitters off-balanced all night, mixing up her fastball with some dazzling off-speed pitches, she also got some defensive help with some slick fielding by freshman third baseman Faith Piper and another spectacular, SportsCenter-worthy catch by centerfielder Brooklyn Carter.
 
"That gives me a lot of confidence to just throw it," Walker said. "I'm not a big strikeout pitcher. It's no surprise that I'm going to get a lot of ground balls, so to see them make plays behind me is really awesome."
 
Carter, the Washington transfer, actually made the ESPN SportsCenter Top 10 just two days earlier with an over-the-shoulder catch on a warning-track fly ball. But on this one, Lindy Milkowski ripped a line drive into the gap in left-center field that Carter somehow got to and made a diving catch to end the fourth inning.
 
"Off the bat, I was like, 'Oh, that's a double," Walker said, apparently forgetting that it was Carter out there in center field. "She caught it when it was like three inches off the ground. That was awesome."
 
Moore said the hit by Milkowski "was a missile."
 
"She just smashed it. And Brooklyn stole a hit from her," Moore said. "She's a scary hitter. That certainly made me feel a lot better when Brooklyn took that one away from her."
 
BYU starter Kate Dahla (8-5) took a shutout into the bottom of the fourth. But the Bears loaded the bases with singles by Shaylon Govan and Turiya Coleman and a walk by Abi Flores.
 
That was when pinch-hitter extraordinaire Emry McDonough came through again. The senior from Bosqueville delivered an RBI single to center, scoring pinch-runner Caroline Rowatt, with Coleman coming home on a fielding error by the centerfielder.
 
"She's just got a calmness about her, ice water in her veins," Moore said of McDonough, who has a .412 batting average this season with seven RBIs in 17 plate appearances. "It's still a game of percentages, but she's come through for us this year in a big way. And as we're going down the stretch, she needs to be ready, because her number is going to get called."
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McDonough, who hit a walk-off grand slam in the Bears' 11-0 win over Abilene Christian on April 11, said "it's nothing special."
 
"At the end of the day, I just give it over to the Lord, and we're just going to trust him with it," McDonough said. "And that's a beautiful thing that Coach Moore knows he can trust me, and I'm going to go out there and do my best. It's just awesome to be able to do that."
 
Winning their third in a row and 11^th in their last 14 games, the Bears got back over .500 for the first time since March 1, when they were 10-9.
 
"I thought (Walker's) off-speed was really efficient tonight," Moore said. "Thought that kept them off-balanced and kept them guessing. To get that first win is huge, but we know that they're going to come back fighting. We've got to keep being one-game warriors and figure out how to win games every time we step on the field."
 
Baylor and BYU (29-13, 11-8) will continue the series with a game at 6:30 p.m. Friday and the Senior Day game at 12 p.m. Saturday. All the games this weekend will be streamed by ESPN+.
 


WACO, Texas – Baylor Softball stifled BYU in its series opener, 2-0, Thursday night at Getterman Stadium. The Bears improve to 24-23 on the season and 9-10 in Big 12 play. 
 
THE RUNDOWN
With a 0-0 contest until the fourth inning, Lillie Walker and the Baylor defense retired the first 11 out of 12 Cougars.
 
Baylor threatened in the bottom of the first after a two-out double from Shaylon Govan and a bunt single from Turiya Coleman but no runs would come across for the Bears in the first. 
 
A single from Faith Piper in the third would be all for the Bears until the fourth when the Bears struck first. 
 
Keeping the Cougars from an extra-base hit in the top of the fourth, Brooklyn Carter made a diving catch in left centerfield to stop BYU from advancing and forcing a 1-2-3 inning. 
 
Starting off the bottom of the fourth inning with a single off the bat of Govan, Coleman followed with a single of her own before pinch-runner Caroline Rowatt advanced to third on an error to put runners on the corners. After a groundout moved Coleman to second, Abi Flores drew a walk to load the bases. Entering to pinch-hit, Emry McDonough roped a single to centerfield to bring home one run before a second run come home when the centerfielder bobbled the ball. 
 
With the 2-0 lead going into the fifth inning, BYU recorded its second hit of the night, but the Bears were able to keep the Cougars off of the board. 
 
Piper walked to lead off the bottom of the fifth but that would be the last baserunner for either team as Walker and the defense retired the next six batters to give Baylor the win in the series opener.
 
HIGHLIGHTS

• The Bears picked up their second-straight shutout and seventh of the season
• Shaylon Govan went 2-for-3 at the plate with a double
• Lillie Walked pitched her eighth complete game of the season, allowing just two hits and no runs
• Walker didn't walk a single batter in the contest and improved to 10-7 on the season
• This marks the fourth time this season the Bears have allowed zero walks
• Turiya Coleman went 2-for-3 at the plate scoring a run
• Emry McDonough and Faith Piper each recorded a hit
• McDonough recorded the Bears' lone RBI
• Abi Flores and Piper each drew a walk
• The Bears are now 24-23 overall and 9-10 in conference play
• BU has now won 11 of its last 14 games

 
QUOTABLE
Head Coach Glenn Moore on the game …
"Phenomenal job by Lillie and our defense to hold that offense, one of the best offenses that we have in the Big 12, and to hold them down. I think you've got to credit great pitches and great pitch-calling and, of course, great defensive play as well. We had all three facets tonight. But her off-speed was real effective tonight. Thought that kept them off-balanced and kept them guessing. And to get that first win is huge, but we know that they're going to come back fighting, and we've got to keep continuing to be one-game warriors and figure out how to win games every time we step on the field."
 
UP NEXT
The Bears will face BYU for game two of the three-game series Friday, April 25 at 6:30 p.m. at Getterman Stadium.