Feb. 16, 2007
Box Score
LAFAYETTE, La. --- The No. 16 Baylor softball swept a pair of games at the Ragin' Cajun Invitational on Friday, defeating Mississippi and Purdue, as the Lady Bears moved to 8-0 on the season to tie the 2005 squad for the best start in school history. Baylor cruised to a 5-0 victory over the Rebels in game one before claiming a 10-2 win in five innings over Purdue in the nightcap.
Key hits and another strong pitching effort from senior Lisa Ferguson keyed the Baylor victory in game one as the Lady Bears cruised to a 5-0 victory over Mississippi in the opener of the Ragin' Cajuns Invitational.
After a scoreless first two innings of play, Baylor finally broke through on the scoreboard to take a 3-0 lead. Back-to-back errors to start the inning put two Lady Bears on board and Ashley Monceaux made the Rebels pay as she drilled a three-run home run, her fourth of the season, over the center field wall to score Alex Colyer and Miriam Romero to give Baylor a three-run lead.
Ferguson kept the Rebels at bay over the next three innings, allowing Mississippi's only hit of the game in the fourth, as Baylor came to the plate in the sixth inning looking to extend the lead.
With runners at second and third in the sixth, Brette Reagan delivered with a two run single to right field as the Lady Bears extended the lead to 5-0. Monceaux and Danielle Honnette scored on the single as Honnette scored her first career run in a Baylor uniform.
The lead was more than enough for Ferguson to protect as she retired the side in the sixth while Kirsten Shortridge came into the game in relief and turned the Rebels away in order in the seventh to preserve the victory.
For the contest, Ferguson allowed only one hit and one walk in six innings of work as she improved to 4-0 on the season.
Monceaux led the way for Baylor in the win, going 2-for-2 with a home run, two runs and three RBI.
Mary Jane Callahan took the loss for Mississippi, allowing five runs on five hits in seven innings of work as she fell to 0-3 on the year.
In game two against the Boilermakers, Baylor exploded for six runs in the first inning to grab a quick six-run lead. After Reagan and Shortridge delivered back-to-back RBI singles to give the Lady Bears a 2-0 lead, Kelsey Sage delivered the key blast in the inning with a grand slam to dead center field as Baylor grabbed control of the game.
The home run was the third of the season for the freshman and the first grand slam for Baylor since Tessa Lynam hit a grand slam against Sam Houston State on April 5, 2006.
Baylor cruised the rest of the way against the Boilermakers, scoring single runs in the next four innings while Purdue managed only single runs in the second and fourth as the Lady Bears claimed a 10-2 win.
Following a RBI hit in the third, Monceaux ended the game with a run-scoring double in the fifth, scoring Brittany Turner from second as the Lady Bears claimed the run-rule victory.
Shortridge had a RBI triple in the second while Courtney Oberg delivered a RBI single in the fourth during the scoring outburst as Baylor moved to 8-0 on the season for only the second time in school history. In addition, head coach Glenn Moore picked up his 399th career with the victory over Purdue.
Monceaux picked up the win for Baylor in the nightcap, moving to 2-0 on the season after allowing two unearned runs on five hits in four innings of work.
Turner came into the game in relief and struck out the side in the fifth; however, did not factor in the decision.
Brooke Baker took the loss for Purdue, allowing ten runs on 12 hits in 4.1 innings of work as she fell to 0-5 on the season.
Shortridge led the way with three hits in the victory while Nicole Wesley, Monceaux and Oberg each had two hits in the win.
Baylor will look to remain perfect at the Ragin' Cajun Invitational as the Lady Bears face Iowa State on Saturday, Feb. 15, at 2:00 p.m. before a meeting with No. 13 Louisiana-Lafayette at 4:30 p.m.
