SB Splits Doubleheader with No. 12 Oregon

Friday, February 18

Waco, Texas

2:30

Baylor

6-0

Oregon

6-1

Oregon

Baylor

SB Splits Doubleheader with No. 12 Oregon

2/18/2022 10:44:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2 Box Score 1 Box Score 2

Bears shutout Ducks in first game

By Jerry Hill
Baylor Bear Insider
            Facing a pitching staff that coach Glenn Moore believes will be one of the best the Baylor softball team will see all year, the Bears strung together 17 hits and split a doubleheader with the 12^th-ranked Oregon Ducks Friday night at Getterman Stadium.
            After knocking out Oregon starter Makenna Kliethermes with a three-run third inning to win the opener, 3-0, Baylor (6-1) rallied to score three runs on four hits in the seventh and had the tying run on deck in an 8-4 loss to the Ducks (7-1).
            "I told them, there would be few pitching staffs that we would face that would be any better than what we saw today," said Moore, whose team ended a nine-game losing streak to ranked opponents. "I thought we had quality at-bats and made them earn their strikeouts. . . . I feel confident throughout our lineup and even with a couple of them on our bench that we can get quality at-bats if we need them."
            In a battle of aces in Friday's opener, Fresno State transfer Dariana Orme (3-0) tossed a complete-game four-hitter with six strikeouts and only one walk. After giving up a hit in each of the first two innings, Orme retired eight of the next nine batters she faced and didn't give up another hit until a leadoff single by Jasmine Williams in the top of the fifth.
            "Facing a great lineup, she gave us great encouragement that she's going to give us a chance in every game we play against top-level teams," Moore said. "I just thought she did a great job keeping some great hitters off-balance and keeping the ball down to where they were struggling to get any lift on it."
            After a relatively quiet first two innings, the Bears struck for three runs on four hits in the third. McKenzie Wilson reached on a fielder's choice grounder, stole second and went to third on a single through the middle by Sydney Collazos before beating the throw home by Allee Bunker on Aliyah Binford's grounder to second.
            Ana Watson followed with an RBI single to center, then Binford scored on a delayed steal when she beat the throw home after Watson was thrown out at second base.
            "You saw it in the first game and then the second game in the last inning, we put some balls in play that were tough," said Watson, who had four hits on the day. "If we keep scrapping, keep pushing the ball, keep having great at-bats, we're going to be fine."
            Orme finished strong, retiring eight of the last nine batters she faced, and got Williams on a groundout to second after a two-out single by KK Humphreys in the seventh.
            "I think today, I had a lot of my stuff that was on," said Orme, who lowered her ERA to 1.15 with her first shutout in a Baylor uniform. "When I would get a ground ball or a pop-up, my team did what they were supposed to do. That just kept me going and allowed me to throw strikes, and that helped out a lot."
            The Ducks made the most of their seven hits in Game 2, scoring runs in four of the last five innings and breaking it open with Paige Sinicki's three-run homer off Binford (1-1) in the sixth.
            Binford had a chance to get out of a bases-loaded, no-out jam in the third, with the defense throwing out two runners at the plate on back-to-back fielder's choice grounders. But, Sinicki scored on Vallery Wong's fielder's choice grounder, when Bunker beat Collazos to the third-base bag.
            "I told them, I want to suffocate offenses and be aggressive and go for that lead out," Moore said. "But, when we're out of position, we're going for some plays that we need to get an out, make sure we get an out. I want to back them off a little bit to where they're aggressive, but yet they go for high-percentage outs so that we don't leave ourselves in a bind and give up big innings."
            Trailing 8-1 going to the bottom of the sixth, the Bears had three-straight two-out RBI singles by Wilson, Collazos and Binford before reliever Stevie Hansen struck out Watson to end the game.
            Baylor will go for the series win in Saturday's noon game, which will be streamed live by Big 12 Now on ESPN+, with Lincoln Rose calling the action.

THE RUNDOWN
WACO, Texas – Baylor softball took down its first ranked opponent of the year as the Bears (6-1) split Friday's doubleheader with Oregon at Getterman Stadium.

Game 1: Baylor 3, Oregon 0
Baylor got a strong start in the circle from Dariana Orme (3-0), who struck out the first batter of the day while only allowing two baserunners through the first two innings.

The bottom of the third saw all of the action for Baylor offensively, as Emily Hott started things off with a single up the middle before McKenzie Wilson reached on a fielder's choice and stole second. Singles from Sydney Collazos and Ana Watson plated two runs, and the third came across on a fielder's choice.

Baylor and Oregon both had batters retired in order in the fourth inning.

A double from Watson and a bunt single from Taylor Strain were the last two hits of the first game, but three runs were enough to seal the win.

Orme pitched a complete game shutout, striking out six and only issuing one walk.

Hott and Watson were each 2-for-3 at the plate, while Wilson and Aliyah Binford each recorded a stolen base.

Game 2: Baylor 4, Oregon 8
The Ducks went 1-2-3 in the top of the first, as Emily Hott hit a leadoff single for the second-straight game.

Aliyah Binford held Oregon scoreless for the first two innings, issuing three strikeouts in that time, before a fielder's choice allowed a run to come across in the top of the third. Binford worked out of the bases loaded jam, striking out another batter to close out the inning.

An error and a groundout plated two more for the Ducks in the fifth inning.

The Bears scored their first run in the bottom of the fifth on a wild pitch.

A three-run homerun in the top of the sixth put Oregon up, 6-1. The Ducks scored their last two runs in the top of the seventh.

The Baylor offense came to life in the bottom of the seventh when Rhein Trochim led off the inning with a single up the middle. Taylor Strain singled up the middle before Wilson, Collazos and Binford each recorded RBI singles. Pulling within four, a strikeout ended the game with the Bears falling short of the comeback.

HIGHLIGHTS

Dariana Orme picked up her first complete-game shutout of the season
The Bears picked up their first win over a ranked opponent
BU handed Oregon (7-1) its first loss of the season
McKenzie Wilson has stolen a base in five of last seven games
Nine different Bears recorded a hit in game two

STAT OF THE GAME
17 – The number of hits by Baylor on the day

TOP QUOTES
Glenn Moore on the offense…
"Very, very happy. I told them, there would be few pitching staffs that we would face that would be any better than what we saw today. I thought we had quality at-bats and made them earn their strikeouts. We out-hit them that last game. We hit it hard. There were only a few balls that left the infield for them that whole game, but they counted more than ours did. So, couldn't be happier with what we're doing offensively. And I feel confident throughout our lineup and even with a couple of them on our bench that we can get quality at-bats and protection out of them, if we need to use them."

Ana Watson on the game…
"You saw it in the first game and the second game in the last inning, we put some balls in plays that were tough. If we keep scrapping, keep pushing the ball, keep having great at-bats, we're going to be fine."

Dariana Orme on the first game…
"I think today I had a lot of my stuff that was on. When I would get a ground ball or a pop-up, my team did what they were supposed to do. That just kept me going and allowed me to throw strikes and that helped out a lot."

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