April 1, 2007
Box Score
LAWRENCE, Kan. --- The No. 12 Baylor softball team stretched its winning streak to eight games and remained perfect in Big 12 Conference play with a 5-3 victory over Kansas in action at Arrocha Ballpark on Sunday. With the victory, Baylor improves to 34-9 on the season, 4-0 in conference action, while Kansas falls to 25-11-1, 2-2 in Big 12 play, with the loss.
Baylor got on the board first as the Lady Bears executed a perfect steal in the second inning to grab the early lead. With Brette Reagan at third base, Courtney Oberg broke for second base on a pitch from Kassie Humphreys. As the throw went into second base, Reagan easily came home to score to give the Lady Bears an early 1-0 lead.
Reagan would extend the Baylor lead in the third as she delivered a key, two-out, two-run double to make the score 3-0. With Kirsten Shortridge at third and Tiffany Wesley at second, Reagan laced a line-drive to the left-center field wall, easily plating Shortridge and T. Wesley to give the Lady Bears a three-run cushion.
After Kansas cut the lead to two in the bottom of the inning on a solo home run, Kelsey Sage would give the Lady Bears all the runs they would need with a two-run blast in the fourth to make the score 5-1. On a 2-2 pitch, Sage drilled a line drive over the right-center field wall, scoring Alex Colyer from second as the freshman delivered her fourth home run of the season.
The lead would prove to be enough as Kansas tried to mount a rally in the seventh. The Jayhawks cut the lead in half on a two-run home run by Elle Pottorf; however, Lisa Ferguson came into the game in relief to shut down the Kansas rally.
After Shortridge made a spectacular diving catch in right to retire the first batter Ferguson faced, the senior right-hander stuck out Val Chapple and Sara Ramirez to preserve the win and pick up her fourth save of the season and 18th of her career.
Shortridge pitched well in the win, allowing only four hits and three runs while striking out seven as she improved to 11-3 on the season.
Humphreys took the loss and fell to 12-5 on the year after allowing five runs on five hits in 3.1 innings of work.
Reagan led the way for Baylor, going 2-for-2 with two runs, two RBI and a pair of doubles as the Lady Bears picked up its second road sweep of Kansas in three years.
Baylor will look to continue its winning ways as the Lady Bears continue their Big 12 Conference road swing when they travel to College Station, Texas, on Wednesday, April 4, to take on No. 3 Texas A&M at 6:30 p.m.
