Baylor
Sam Houston State
Softball Tosses Back-to-Back Shutouts in Sweep
3/7/2007 12:00:00 AM | Softball
March 7, 2007
WACO, Texas --- Alex Colyer blasted a pair of home runs, including a solo shot for the only run in game one, while the entire Baylor pitching staff contributed in pitching back-to-back shutouts as the Lady Bears swept Sam Houston State, 1-0 an 8-0 in six innings, in action at Getterman Stadium on Wednesday. With the wins, Baylor improved to 22-4 overall and a perfect 15-0 on the year at home.
"With the Arizona series and a trip to Hawai'i coming up, I was a little worried about all of the distractions heading into these games," head coach Glenn Moore said. "After a slow start, we managed to find a way to win game one and really came out with a strong effort in the second game. Overall, I am definitely pleased and really looking forward to seeing what we can do with one of the best teams in the nation (Arizona) coming here this weekend."
Strong pitching by Kirsten Shortridge and Ashley Monceaux along with a solo home run by Colyer allowed the Lady Bears to pick up the victory in the opener.
Shortridge tossed five innings while Monceaux came into the game in relief and tossed the final two frames as the pair combined to allow only two hits and struck out six to claim the shutout win.
Colyer provided all the offense the team would need as the freshman lined a home run over the left field wall in the bottom of the third as the Lady Bears grabbed a 1-0 lead.
Sam Houston State was unable to mount a rally as Shortridge picked up the win an improved to 8-0 on the season, striking out four in the effort, while Monceaux struck out two Bearkat batters en route to her first save of the season and third of her career.
Brandi Crnkovic pitched extremely well in the loss, allowing only one run on four hits as she fell to 2-5 on the season.
With the pitching and defense giving another solid effort in game two, the Baylor bats came to life in the nightcap as the Lady Bears tallied eight runs on nine hits to pick up the 8-0, run-rule victory.
After a scoreless first, Baylor exploded for five runs in the second inning to grab control of the contest and take a five-run lead. Courtney Oberg got the scoring started as she laced a double to right-center, scoring Brette Reagan to give the Lady Bears a 1-0 lead.
A wild pitch would give Baylor two more runs as Morgan Mikulin's pitch sailed wide and to the backstop allowing Shortridge to score from third while the throw back to home plate was wide of the bag to let Oberg score all the way from second as the Lady Bears claimed a 3-0 lead.
Monceaux finished the scoring outburst, lining a double to left field to score Nicole Wesley and Miriam Romero as Baylor closed the inning with a commanding 5-0 lead.
After Reagan scored in the third to make the score 6-0, N. Wesley delivered a RBI single in the fifth as the Lady Bears built a seven-run cushion.
With Sam Houston State unable to score in the sixth, Colyer ended the game to lead off the bottom of the inning as she went opposite field with Mikulin's 2-2 pitch and drilled it well over the right field wall to give the Lady Bears the 8-0, six-inning.
The home run was the fourth of the season for Colyer as Baylor claimed its 26th straight win in the series and improved to 38-27 all-time against the Bearkats.
Lisa Ferguson picked up the win in game two, allowing only two hits in four innings of work while striking out four as she improved to 8-3 on the season. Brittany Turner pitched extremely well in relief as she did not allow a hit and struck out three in two innings of work to preserve the ninth shutout of the season for the Lady Bears.
Mikulin took the loss for Sam Houston State, allowing eight runs on nine hits in five innings of work as she fell to 5-6 on the season.
Reagan added two hits and two runs in the win while Oberg collected two doubles in the victory.
Baylor will return to action on Friday, March 9, as the Lady Bears host No. 2 Arizona for the first of a three-game series in the Compass Bank Challenge. First pitch for the Lady Bears and Wildcats is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.
