May 22, 2005
Box Score
AUBURN, Ala. --- The No. 10 Baylor softball team grabbed an early 4-1 lead against Florida State and held on for a 5-3 victory over the Seminoles as the Lady Bears claimed the Auburn Sub-Regional Championship and advanced to the NCAA Softball Super Regionals for the first time in school history. Baylor (50-12) moves on to face No. 2 California in a best-of-three series beginning on Friday, May 27, at a site and time to be determined later.
"I am extremely proud of this team right now," head coach Glenn Moore said. "This team has worked extremely hard this season and to advance to the final 16 for the first time in school history is a tremendous accomplishment."
Tessa Lynam gave the Lady Bears the early lead when she blasted a solo home run, her 13th of the season, off the first pitch from Florida State starter Casy Hunter to give Baylor a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning.
Florida State answered the Baylor run with a run in the second to tie the score at 1-1. With the bases loaded and no out, Carrey Galuppi scored on a fielding error by left-fielder Kylie Conroy. Conroy recovered; however, to prevent further damage by throwing out Tatiana George at home plate on the play to keep the score tied. Baylor starter Lisa Ferguson then worked out of the jam by retiring the next two batters as the score remained 1-1 heading into the bottom of the inning.
The Lady Bears responded to the tying run with three in the bottom of the inning to grab a 4-1 lead. With runners on second and third, Conroy doubled of the left-center field wall, scoring April Luce from third as Baylor took a 2-1 lead. After Baylor loaded the bases when Carrie Leerberg singled, Chelsi Lake provided the key hit in the inning when she lined to left with two outs, scoring Conroy and Jordan Daniels as Baylor grabbed a 4-1 lead.
After the Seminoles were unable to score in the next three innings, Kim Wilmoth extended the lead to four when she hit a RBI single down the left field line, scoring Lynam from second as Baylor grabbed a 5-1 lead.
Florida State mounted a rally; however, scoring a run in the sixth and loading the bases with nobody out in the seventh. Lynam, who came into the game in relief, forced Kim Hofer into a sacrifice fly to deep left field as the Seminoles cut the lead to 5-3 with only one out in the seventh.
With Veronica Wootson up and runners on first and second with one out, Lynam forced a grounder to third baseman Stephanie Pomes. Pomes quickly tagged third and fired over to first for the game-ending double play as Baylor captured the 5-3 victory.
The win gave Baylor its first ever 50-win season and advanced the Lady Bears into the NCAA Softball Sweet 16 for the first time in school history.
Ferguson, who picked up all three Lady Bears wins at the regional, recorded the victory and improved to 20-5 on the season after allowing two runs, both unearned, on three hits in five innings of work. Lynam picked up the save, her third of the season, after allowing one hit in one inning of work.
Lake and Leerberg each had two hits in the victory while Conroy added two RBI in the win as Baylor improved to 5-2 all-time in the NCAA Softball Championships.
Casey Hunter fell to 21-17 on the season with the loss after allowing five runs on nine hits in six innings of work.
The announcement of where and when the NCAA Super Regional best-of-three series between Baylor and California will take place should be made by the NCAA later this evening.
