WACO, TX — It took perfection for No. 9 Texas (30-6, 4-0 Big 12) to leave Waco with a win as Baylor (14-15, 1-4) fell to the Longhorns, 2-0, Wednesday night at Getterman Stadium.
UT freshman Shealyn O’Leary pitched a perfect game as the Lady Bears put the ball in play, with only three strikeouts, but failed to get anyone on base.
Defensively, Sidney Holman and the rest of the Lady Bears went to work as they held a Texas team that averages 6.5 runs per game to only two. In their 36 games this season, the Longhorns have been held to two runs or less six times.
The game was scoreless until the top of the fourth inning when Shannon Rhodes reached base safely off an error. She scored two batters later off a sacrifice fly to left field. Texas added one more run in the fifth inning when Janae Jefferson reached base on a fielding error and went on to score later in the inning.
Both of UT’s runs were unearned as Holman finished the contest giving up only four hits to go with four strikeouts in seven innings of work.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Texas was held to zero extra base hits on the night. The Longhorns entered Wednesday’s game averaging 1.83 doubles per game.
- There were plenty of solid defensive plays by the Lady Bears as Texas was held to four hits, which is five hits below its average (8.7).
- Lou Gilbert played second base for the first time in her Baylor career as Nicky Dawson, who has started every game she’s played for Baylor (84), missed the game due to illness.
STAT OF THE GAME
0 – Number of earned runs Sidney Holman allowed
TOP QUOTES
Glenn Moore on the day…
“We made some great plays. The two errors resulted in the two runs they had. But at the same time we made some great plays, and those errors were aggressive errors. I was very pleased the way our defense played behind Sid. It was a complete game. They’re a good offense. That’s an understatement, they’re a great offense. They put the ball in play often and their batting averages are off the chart 1 through 9. She did her job and the defense did its job. We just have to find ways to score runs.
Unfortunately, we ran into a buzz saw. But they had to pitch a perfect game to be able to beat us tonight and they did. It wasn’t just a perfect game pitched by her. She had a great defense that made some plays that helped her secure that perfect game.
I told the girls after the game, I don’t remember one wasted at-bat that we didn’t challenge them unless it was the final at-bat. Throughout the game we were putting the ball in play, and they were making great defensive plays. A lot of athletes on the field out there and they made great plays.”
WHAT'S NEXT
Baylor travels to Lawrence, Kan. to take on the Jayhawks over the weekend.
