No. 8/9 Baylor softball (10-2) dropped its second game of the season, falling 4-0 to No. 2/2 Florida, before bouncing back with an explosive 7-1 win over Charlotte (6-10) on Saturday afternoon at Cal State Fullerton’s Anderson Family Field.
In the afternoon’s win for the Lady Bears, Regan Green (3-0) worked her most complete outing as a Lady Bear, going the distance and allowing just three hits and one run, striking out 10 and walking just two.
After another slow start at the plate, the bats rallied to post seven runs on nine hits, all coming in the final three frames.
After a solo HR for the 49ers in the bottom of the fourth, the Lady Bears bounced back in the top of the fifth with a two-spot to take the club’s first lead of the weekend.
Hannah Smith led it off for BU with a single into right field, moving to second on a sac bunt by Caitlin Charlton. A single and stolen base by Jessie Scroggins put two in scoring position.
Nicky Dawson came through for Baylor, cracking a double to left center that would score both Scroggins and Smith, giving BU the 2-1 advantage after five.
Back in the top of the sixth, Goose McGlaun got things rolling with a single to left, followed by an infield single by Taylor Ellis.
With two outs, Caitlin Charlton drilled a three-run shot over the left field wall, the first home run of the game for the Lady Bears and her first of the season, pushing the lead to 5-1 after six.
Looking to add some more separation in the seventh, a two-out solo shot by Shelby Friudenberg was followed by another bomb to dead centerfield by Goose McGlaun, giving BU three home runs in the game and iced the 7-1 win for the Lady Bears.
In the morning’s game, the Lady Bears faced reigning National Player of the Year, Kelly Barnhill, who handed the Lady Bears their second-straight loss. Barnhill combined with Aleshia Ocasio on a no-hitter, the first time BU had been held hitless in a game since 2003, when No. 7 LSU’s Kristin Schmidt blanked the Lady Bears in a 1-0 win for the Tigers in Baton Rouge.
Although the Lady Bears were able to draw a total of six walks, the 16 strikeouts and no hits by the Baylor offense weren’t enough to overcome UF’s three home runs, handing Gia Rodoni (5-2) her second loss of the season, despite a five-hit, eight-strikeout outing in the circle.
