May 18, 2007
Box Score
HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. --- Courtney Oberg led the way with three hits as Kirsten Shortridge picked up the complete game victory to lead No. 7 Baylor to an 8-2 victory over Albany in the opening round of the NCAA Softball Championship at Hofstra Softball Stadium. With the victory, Baylor improves to 46-13 on the season while advancing in the winner's bracket of the NCAA Hempstead Regional.
Baylor jumped out to the early lead with three runs in the bottom of the first to grab an early lead it would never relinquish. With runners at first and second and nobody out, Brette Reagan put down a perfect bunt single down the third base line. In an attempt to throw Reagan out, the ball sailed over the first baseman's head, allowing Ashley Monceaux to score the first run of the game.
After Shortridge scored on a passed ball to give the Lady Bears a two-run advantage, Oberg delivered a single to left to score Reagan to put Baylor up by a 3-0 score.
The score remained the same until the fourth inning when Baylor exploded for five runs to build an eight-run lead and put the game away. Reagan drove home the first run of the inning with a single to center to score Miriam Romero while Chelsi Lake singled down the left field line to bring Monceaux home and make the score 5-0.
With runners at first and second, Oberg delivered the key hit in the contest as she doubled to the left-center field gap, scoring Reagan as Lake added a run on the play as she came home on a throwing error on the relay to home to make the score 7-0.
Nicole Wesley put the final touches on the inning with an infield single to score Oberg from third to give Baylor a commanding, 8-0 lead.
The cushion was more than enough for Shortridge as Albany managed only two runs on a two-run home run in the fifth inning as the freshman went the distance, allowing only two runs on seven hits in seven innings of work as she improved to 17-4 on the season while picking up her first career post-season victory.
Casey Halloran took the loss for Albany and fell to 18-10 on the season after allowing eight runs on 11 hits in six innings of work.
With the win, Baylor improved to 4-0 all-time in opening games of NCAA Championship play.
The Lady Bears will return to action on Saturday, May 19, when Baylor faces the winner of Hofstra and Harvard at 9;00 a.m. in a winner's bracket contest. The game can be heard in the Waco area on ESPN Radio 1660 AM as well as online at www.BaylorBears.com.
