Feb. 18, 2005
Box Score
HOUSTON, Texas -- The No. 11 Baylor softball team split a pair of games in the first day of action at the Crowne Plaza Classic, defeating Kentucky 3-0 before falling to Houston 4-3 in game two. With the split, Baylor's record moves to 14-2 on the year.
Baylor grabbed the early lead in the opener against the Wildcats when Kelly Osburn scored on a Chelsi Lake fielder's choice in the bottom of the first inning to give the Lady Bears a 1-0 lead. Osburn led off the game with a single up the middle, extending her school record hitting streak to 19 games.
The Lady Bears added two more runs in the second to extend the lead to three runs. Harmony Schwethelm and Tessa Lynam each had RBI singles in the frame as Katie Ottens and Osburn scored to give Baylor a 3-0 lead heading into the third inning.
The three-run cushion was more than enough for the Lady Bears as Lynam pitched Baylor's first complege-game shutout of the season, allowing only two hits while striking out six in seven innings of work as she improved to 4-0 on the season.
Kentucky starting pitcher Samantha Allen held Baylor scoreless after the first two innings, however, took the loss after allowing two runs on four hits to drop to 1-5 on the season.
The Lady Bears jumped out to an early lead in game two as well as Baylor strung together three consecutive two-out hits to take a 1-0 lead over Houston. Lynam started the rally with her single to left field as Lake followed by blasting a double to left-center field to give Baylor runners at first and third. Kim Wilmoth provided the key two-out hit as her single to left gave the Lady Bears an early one-run lead.
Houston, however, responded with three runs in the bottom of the second inning. Michelle Keith provided the key hit in the inning for the Cougars as her two-run single gave Houston a 2-1 lead. The Cougars added another in the inning when Brooke Johnson scored an unearned run with two outs to give Houston a 3-1 lead.
Baylor cut the lead in half in the top of the third as Harmony Schwethelm scored on a single by Kim Wilmot as Houston's lead was trimmed to one. Baylor had a chance to tie in the inning with runners at first and second and only one out, however, the Lady Bears were unable to plate the tying run as the score remained at 3-2 heading into the bottom of the inning.
Houston extended the lead back to two in the fourth inning when Michelle Keith stole home with only one out to give the Cougars a 4-2 lead.
Baylor managed a run in the seventh when Kylie Conroy scored on a wild pitch, however, Houston starter Angel Shamblin forced April Luce to ground out with the bases loaded and improved to 2-1 with the victory, allowing eight hits and three runs in seven innings of work.
Baylor's Lisa Ferguson suffered her first loss of the season as she fell to 6-1 after allowing three earned runs on seven hits in three innings of work.
Baylor will continue play at the Crowne Plaza Classic on Saturday, Feb. 19, when the Lady Bears will face Texas State at 9:00 a.m. before facing Minnesota at 11:00 a.m.
