SB Explodes Late to Even its Series with Houston

Friday, April 3

Waco, Texas

3 PM

Baylor

23-13, 6-5

Houston

19-22, 2-12

Houston

Baylor

SB Explodes Late to Even its Series with Houston

4/3/2026 7:08:00 PM | Softball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

BU tallied seven-straight hits in a seven run sixth inning

By: Matt Roberts

WACO, Texas – Baylor softball used a dominant sixth inning and a complete-game performance in the circle from Peyton Tanner to earn a 7-2 win over Houston on Friday at Getterman Stadium, evening the Big 12 series at one game apiece.

The Bears got clutch hits from Abi Flores and Gianna Gusman in the sixth. Baylor sent 10 batters to the plate in that inning. Seven of them had hits, with eight-straight finding their way on base.

With the victory, Baylor improved to 23-13 overall and 6-5 in the Big 12, marking their 500th win at Getterman Stadium and ending a four-game Big 12 losing streak. The Bears have now claimed 11 of their last 12 games with the Coogs.
RUNDOWN
The ballgame was scoreless through three before Houston struck for a pair in the fourth. A Baylor error and a pair of hits plated two Cougar runs to take an early 2-0 lead.

Entering the sixth inning, one for its last 21 with runners in scoring position. Abi Flores stepped up, delivering a two-run single that tied the game, continuing her impressive streak against Houston with six RBIs in her last four outings against them.

Gianna Gusman gave Baylor the lead with an RBI single. Sa'Mya Jones and Brooklyn Carter each followed with RBI singles, and Jones also scored on a passed ball. Amber Toven capped the inning with an RBI single, extending her on-base streak to 17 games. It was Baylor's third time in the last five games scoring five or more runs in an inning. By the end of the sixth, Baylor led 7-2.

Tanner was instrumental in the victory, pitching a complete game with 120 pitches, 72 of them strikes. She limited Houston to just four hits and one earned run, striking out four and walking one. Tanner forced a season-high 12 groundouts en route to her fourth complete game of the season, after having just one last year at Tennessee.

GAME NOTES

Baylor is now 32-16 all-time against Houston, going 11-1 in the last 12 games against the Coogs.
The Bears are now 500-199 all-time at Getterman Stadium.
Baylor used its 36th different lineup combo in 36 games this season.
BU has now had a 5+ run inning three times in its last five games.
Baylor is 21-0 this season when leading after six innings.
The Bears' last seven-run inning came on May 2nd last season en route to a 10-0 win over Iowa State in the series opener.
The Bears notched seven singles in that final frame to plate the seven runs.
BU is 5-3 this season when wearing its anthracite uniforms.
Abi Flores drove in two runs and had two hits, both season highs.
Amber Toven extended her on-base streak to 17 games..
Peyton Tanner tied a career high with seven innings pitched.
Tanner and Cambree Creager threw back-to-back complete games for the second time this season, but Friday was the first instance in which both went at least seven innings.
Tanner recorded a season-high total of 12 groundouts, and her 120 pitches were one off her career high set earlier this season against Iowa State.
Sa'Mya Jones drove in her first run of the season.
Brooklyn Carter had a pair of hits and stole her team-leading 13th base.

QUOTABLE
Glenn Moore on his team's sixth-inning breakthrough — "Whenever you've been holding stuff in for so long and then finally found a way to break through, it's just such a relief. That's the team that we've seen before and knew was capable. It just seemed like nothing was ever going to fall for us for the longest time — although you know it will eventually — You don't know how long it's gonna take. It was unbelievably frustrating for those balls to hang up in the air and not get out. I don't think we barreled up nearly as well today as we did last night, but we kept fighting up there, and we began to finally get balls on the ground and level instead of in the air, and good things happened. I know the girls really needed to get that off their backs, so I'm really proud of them."

Moore on eight-straight batters reaching in the sixth inning — "It's 'Big Mo'. They talk about momentum, and that's what it is. Whenever one ball starts falling, you start believing, everybody's a little more confident, contrary to the other side, when they're a little less confident, and that's how momentum starts. I think they were just ready for that breakout and a chance to pass the bat. They kept huddling and encouraging each other to stay together as a team. So once it started falling, it was a beautiful thing."

Gianna Gusman on her go-ahead RBI: "As a team lately we've been coming back later in the game, which is very exciting, but sometimes it can cost us games. Today, we finally found that momentum, and we just let it keep going. We made that adjustment at the plate, and we all just kept putting hits together. No one tried to get that super big hit. We just kept passing the bat, and I think it felt amazing for all of us to just work together."

Gusman on the big sixth inning— "It's like we were on the same wavelength. Especially last night, we were all kind of hitting individually and just trying to be the hero. I know I was trying to be the hero in my at-bats, and that's not how you're supposed to win a game, especially if you want cushioning for your pitcher. One person got a hit, so you watch them do that, and now you say, ok, I'm going to do that."

WHAT'S NEXT
With rain forecast for the early portion of Saturday, the series finale has been moved back to 5 p.m. As part of its Easter celebration, Baylor will host an Easter Egg hunt for kids aged 12 and under after Saturday night's game.

All games for the remainder of the season will be televised on ESPN+ and heard on air and online via 101.3 COOL FM.

Follow @BaylorSoftball on X, Instagram and Facebook for additional updates.

—BaylorBears.com—