May 20, 2007
Box Score
HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. --- Ashley Monceaux went 3-for-4 with a home run and four RBI while Lisa Ferguson and Kirsten Shortridge combined to throw a shutout as the No. 7 Baylor softball team cruised to a 10-0, five-inning win over Albany to capture the NCAA Hempstead Regional title. With the win, Baylor advances to the NCAA Super Regional as the Lady Bears will host Michigan in a best-of-three series to determine who will advance to the Women's College World Series.
Baylor jumped out to a quick 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning as Chelsi Lake delivered a sacrifice fly to score Monceaux from third for the first run of the game.
The score would remain the same until the fourth as the Lady Bears exploded for three runs in the fourth and six more in the fifth to put the game away.
With two outs, Miriam Romero drove home Tiffany Wesley with a single to short as Baylor grabbed a two-run cushion. Monceaux would then deliver the key hit in the three-run frame as she launched a two-run double to left-center field, scoring Kelsey Sage and Romero as Baylor grabbed a 4-0 lead.
After Albany was unable to answer in the bottom of the inning, Baylor exploded for six runs in the fifth to put the run rule into effect.
T. Wesley got the inning started as her double to right-center scored pinch-runner Danielle Honnestte to extend the lead to five. After Courney Oberg scored on a fielding error, T. Wesley came around to score on a wild pitch as Baylor grabbed a seven-run cushion on the Great Danes.
When Sage scored on a throwing error to put the run-rule into effect, Monceaux put the finishing touches on the win as she hammered a two-run blast well over the center-field wall to score Romero from third to give the Lady Bears a 10-0 lead.
The home run was the 18th of the season for the first baseman as she tied Lake for the Baylor single-season home run mark after Lake hit 18 a year ago.
Shortridge came into the game in relief of Ferguson and shut down Albany in the bottom of the inning to give the Lady Bears the regional title via the mercy rule.
Ferguson was excellent in the circle after allowing a lead-off single in the top of the first inning as the senior retired the next 12 batters and picked up the win to improve to 23-7 on the season after allowing one hit while striking out four in four innings of work.
Leah McIntosh took the loss for Albany after allowing ten runs on 11 hits in 4.2 innings of work as she fell to 11-6 on the season.
T. Wesley was one of a number of Baylor players who excelled at the plate, going a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate in the victory.
Baylor cruised through the NCAA Hempstead Regional, outscoring its opponents 25-4 over the three games as the Lady Bears captured a regional title for the second time in three years.
With the win, Baylor advances to the NCAA Super Regional and will host Michigan in a best-of-three series at the NCAA Waco Regional beginning on Friday, May 25, or Saturday, May 26, at Getterman Stadium to determine which team advances to the Women's College World Series at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City, Okla.
Exact times and dates for the NCAA Super Regional have yet to be announced and will be announced later this afternoon. For tickets to the NCAA Super Regional in Waco, contact the Baylor Ticket Office at 1-800-BAYLOR-U or 254-710-1000. All session tickets are $10 for students, $25 for general admission and $35 for reserved.
