May 3, 2007
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| Highlights 
WACO, Texas --- A Getterman Stadium record crowd of 1,455 watched the No. 7 Baylor softball team move within one game of the Big 12 Conference regular season title as the Lady Bears claimed a wild, 5-2 victory over No. 17 Texas in action at Getterman Stadium on Thursday. With the victory, Baylor improved to 44-12, 13-3 in the Big 12 Conference, as Texas fell to 33-17, 8-10 in league play with the loss.
Batting in the leadoff spot for only the third time this season, Ashley Monceaux started the contest off with a bang for the Lady Bears as she hammered her 16th home run of the season over the center field wall to give Baylor a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning.
After Texas answered in the top of the second to tie the score, Baylor regained the lead in the bottom of the frame on a pair of errors by Texas third baseman Crystal Saenz. With one out, Kirsten Shortridge reached on a throwing error; and, as Tiffany Wesley attempted to advance her to second with a sacrifice bunt, Saenz threw the ball away again, allowing Shortridge to come all away around to score the go-ahead run.
The score would remain the same until a wild sixth inning as a two-out rally by the Longhorns would tie the game. With two outs, Megan Willis hit the first pitch from Baylor reliever Lisa Ferguson right back up the middle to score Shannon Thomas to pull the Longhorns even.
Texas would have a chance to regain the lead; but, a base-running error by Willis would prove to be costly for the Longhorns. On a slow-rolling single by Loryn Johnson to third baseman Brette Reagan, Willis over ran third base and got caught in a rundown. She was eventually thrown out at home; but, on the play was ejected from the contest after it was ruled she attempted to barrel over Lake at the plate.
Baylor would then put the game away in the bottom of the inning with three runs to grab the 5-2 lead. Tiffany Wesley led off the inning with a single and advanced to second on the play on an error by the Texas left fielder. After a passed ball by new Texas catcher Kacie Gaskin allowed her to advance to third, she came around to score as Courtney Oberg drilled a single down the left field line to give the Lady Bears the lead for good.
Lake would then give the Lady Bears a pair of insurance runs as her grounder towards the hole was deflected by a ranging Saenz at third and into left field, allowing Monceaux and Oberg to score to give Baylor the three-run cushion.
The lead was more than enough for Ferguson, who retired the side in the seventh to move the Lady Bears within one victory of its first-ever Big 12 Conference regular season title. With the win, Ferguson set a new career high with her 21st win of the season as she improved to 21-7 after allowing two hits in 1.1 innings of work.
Although she did not factor in the decision, Shortridge had another outstanding outing in the circle, allowing two runs on three hits in 5.2 innings of work.
The crowd of 1,455 tied the Getterman Stadium record of the same number set on May 3, 2006, against the Longhorns. In addition, the win allowed Baylor to set a new school record with 13 conference victories in a season.
Next up, Baylor will close out its regular season as the Lady Bears go after at least a share of the Big 12 Conference regular-season title when they host No. 6 Texas A&M on Saturday, May 5, at 4:00 p.m.
