March 12, 2005
Box Score
CLEARWATER, Fla. - For the first time this season, the No. 9 Baylor softball team needed extra innings to secure a win as the Lady Bears defeated UCF 1-0 in eight innings in action at Edward C. Moore Field. With the win, Baylor improved to 26-3 and advanced to the Speedline Classic championship round as UCF drops to 22-13-1 with the loss.
UCF starter Lindsay Enders and Baylor starting pitcher Cristin Vitek were in control throughout as both held the opposition scoreless through the first seven innings.
The Golden Knights' best chance to score in the first seven innings came in the first inning, placing runners on second and third with two outs; however, Vitek struck out Crystle Krafft to end the threat.
The Lady Bears could muster only two hits off of Enders in the first seven innings as Harmony Schwethelm collected both hits for Baylor as the game headed into extra innings.
Playing under the international tie-breaker rule, UCF opened the top of the eighth inning with a runner on second. After a passed ball advanced the runner to third, Enders singled on a bunt down the third base line to give the Golden Knights runners at first and third with no outs.
Despite the scoring threat, Vitek retired the next three UCF batters, forcing Bryttani Lindheim to ground out to second base to end the inning.
With UCF unable to score in the top of the inning, the Lady Bears only needed one run in the bottom of the frame to end the game. After Kylie Conroy sacrificed Jordan Daniels to third to open the inning, Kelly Osburn laid down a perfect bunt, scoring Daniels and giving Baylor its first extra-inning win of the season.
Vitek picked up the win for the Lady Bears to improve to 9-2 on the season, tossing a complete-game shutout while allowing only three hits and striking out a season-high 11 batters.
Enders took the loss for UCF, allowing three hits and one unearned run in 7.1 innings of work.
With the win, Baylor advances to the championship round and will face the winner of the Central Michigan-UMass contest at 10:00 a.m. on Sunday, March 13. Should the Lady Bears win the first game on Sunday, Baylor will advance to the championship game at 12:00 p.m.
