Baylor
Kent State
Baylor Rebounds With 6-5 Victory Over Kent
8/3/2000 12:00:00 AM | Softball
March 11, 2000
SAN JOSE, Calif. - A bad start to the day ended in elation as the Baylor softball team has earned a berth in the consolation championship game of the NIST Tournament in San Jose, Calif., against a hot-hitting Wisconsin team.
BU dropped a 3-2 decision to San Jose State before rallying for a 6-5 win over Kent and then blowing out Utah, 10-1, earning a spot Sunday morning in the consolation championship.
After losing to San Jose State, the Bears faced an elimination game against Kent who was 0-4 in the tournament, but it took a pinch-hit RBI single with one out in the bottom of the seventh by Holly Fields to down the Golden Flash, 6-5.
Kent (5-9) started off hot in game two scoring three runs on five hits off starter Carrie Arn in the top of the first. Four singles and a double plated the three runs and there were two runners left stranded.
Baylor got two back closing the gap to 3-2 in the bottom half of the first when Fitzgerald led off with a single, went to second on a sacrifice, and scored on Caudle's single to left center. Lancaster then singled off the third baseman's glove and Rohde followed with an RBI single to center scoring Caudle.
The Bears then scored two more in the third taking a 4-3 lead on two hits and two Golden Flash errors. Caudle led off with her second single and went to second on a grounder hit by Lancaster that the third baseman mishandled putting two runners on. Ryan Stukel followed with a sacrifice bunt and Rohde singled home Caudle. Hundley then attempted a suicide squeeze that the first baseman mishandled allowing Lancaster to score and put Hundley on first.
Kent tied it up at 4-4 knocking Arn out of the game in the fourth. Baylor then regained the lead at 5-4 in the bottom of the fourth just to see Kent tie it again in the top of the fifth.
Baylor then loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the seventh to set the stage for Fields.
This was the first time all season that the team has rallied to win after being behind by more than one run.
Joni Miller (7-5) got the win in relief with 3.2 innings pitched, allowing four hits and one run with two K's.
