No. 10 Softball Splits to Open 2006 Season

Softball 2/11/2006 12:00:00 AM

Feb. 11, 2006

WACO, Texas --- On the opening day of the 2006 season, the No. 10 Baylor softball team cruised to a 15-6 win over Wichita State before the Lady Bears fell in the second game of the day, 12-6 to Illinois. With the split, Baylor opens the season with a 1-1 record.

In the first game, Baylor exploded for 10 runs in the first two innings as the Lady Bears jumped out to the early lead. After the first three batters of the game reached base for Baylor, Chelsi Lake delivered a double down the right field line, scoring Kelly Osburn and Harmony Schwethelm to give the Lady Bears a 2-0 lead. Newcomers Brette Reagan and Lauren Parker added RBI in the inning as Baylor grabbed a quick 4-0 lead.

After Wichita State cut the lead to one with a three run first, Baylor exploded for six runs in the top of the second to grab a commanding seven run lead. Junior newcomer Ashley Monceaux put the Lady Bears up 5-3 when she singled home Schwethelm for her first career RBI. After Kylie Conroy singled to score Lake, Osburn and junior college transfer Miriam Romero put the finishing touches on the inning as each hit two-run doubles as Baylor grabbed a 10-3 lead.

Wichita State cut the lead to five with a pair of runs in the bottom of the inning; however, the Lady Bears managed to out-score the Shockers 5-1 the rest of the way to cruise to the 15-6 win.

In the top of the third inning, Monceaux blasted her first career home run as she lifted a pitch well over the left-center field wall, giving the Lady Bears an 11-5 lead.

After Conroy scored on a throwing error in the fourth, Schwethelm singled home Romero in the sixth as Baylor grabbed a seven-run lead.

In the top of the seventh, Regan scored on a throwing error as newcomer Lauren Parker put the finishing touches on the victory with a double down the left field line to score Conroy as the Lady Bears took a commanding nine-run lead into the bottom of the inning.

Sarah Hausner held the Shocker scoreless in the bottom of the inning, capping off three scoreless innings of work for the senior right-hander as she moved to 1-0 on the season.

Margo Pruis took the loss for Wichita State after allowing 13 runs on 10 hits in six innings of work.

Every staring player for Baylor scored in the contest as the Lady Bears set a new school record by drawing 12 walks during the contest.

Five Baylor players recorded multiple-RBI in the contest as Conroy led the way for the Lady Bears with three runs scored. Schwethelm recorded two doubles in the victory as Baylor blasted eight extra-base hits in thewin.

Game two on the day did not go as well for the Lady Bears as Illinois rallied for a 12-6 win over Baylor.

The Lady Bears jumped out to the early lead in the contest as Lake singled up the middle to score Schwethelm to give Baylor a 1-0 lead.

After Illinois tied the game with a run in the second, Baylor grabbed another one-run lead when Parker singled to score Reagan to make the score 2-1.

The Fighting Illini responded with a run in the third to tie the game and then exploded for seven runs, all unearned, in the top of the fourth to grab a commanding 9-2 lead. Kacey Coonce provided the key hit in the inning as she lifted a 0-2, two-out pitch with the bases loaded over the left field wall to give Illinois a seven-run cushion.

Romero and Osburn recorded RBI singles in the bottom of the inning to cut the lead to five; however, Coonce delivered a two-run double in the sixth to put the game away.

With the score 12-4, Osburn delivered a RBI ground out in the sixth as Reagan hit a solo home run, the first of her career, in the bottom of the seventh. It was not enough; however, as Illinois claimed the 12-6 win.

Monceaux took the loss for the Lady Bears, allowing five earned runs in five innings of work to fall to 0-1 on the season. Coonce picked up the victory for the Fighting Illini, allowing four runs in 3.2 innings of work.

Despite the loss, the Baylor newcomers had solid outings in the contest as Reagan went 3-for-4 with two runs and a RBI while Parker added two hits, two runs and a RBI.

After the split, Baylor will conclude action at the Getterman Classic with a pair of games on Sunday, Feb. 12. Baylor will face Wichita State at 1:00 p.m. followed by a game against Tulsa at 3:00 p.m.

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