No. 12/12 Baylor softball (15-3) picked up back-to-back six innings, run rule wins, downing Ohio (8-7) with a 12-3 (6) win and Delaware (3-11) on a walk-off grand slam to win, 15-5 (6), on a chilly Friday morning at Liberty Softball Stadium.
In game one, Gia Rodoni (8-2) was spectacular for the Lady Bears after a rocky first inning. After surrendering three hits, including a three-run home run, in the opening frame, Rodoni would finish the last five frames allowing just two hits and striking out a season-high 12 batters.
The offense got rolling early, with Nicky Dawson reaching safely on an infield error, moving to second on a wild pitch.
Shelby Friudenberg roped a single back up the middle, scoring Dawson from first, giving BU the 1-0 advantage after the top of one.
In the home half, the Bobcats packed in two singles that led to a three-run home run in the home half of the first, taking the lead back at 3-1 after one.
The Lady Bears kept chipping back, finally breaking through with a monster two-out rally in the top of the fourth to regain the lead.
Taylor Ellis reached on a single to left, advancing to second a passed ball and third on a two-out single for Caitlin Charlton.
Dawson bounced a high infield grounder to short, with a muffed throw to first allowing both Ellis and Charlton to score, tying the game back at 3-3.
From there, Jessie Scroggins dropped a bunt single in front of the plate, moving Dawson to second. A four pitch walk for Shelby Friudenberg loaded the bases, still with two outs.
Goose McGlaun picked up an RBI the easy way, working a full count walk to plate the third run of the inning. A wild pitch would plate the fourth, keeping two runners in scoring position for Carlee Wallace.
The senior catcher drilled a single off the wall in center field, driving in both runs to cap off a six-run rally to give BU a 7-3 lead.
Adding more separation in the top of the sixth, Scroggins led off the frame with a rocket double off the base of the wall in left center.
Friudenberg pushed her to third on a single to left, with Madi O’Neal coming on to pinch run.
With a 1-2 count, Wallace came up big again, launching a three-run bomb well over the wall in left field, pushing the BU lead to 10-3.
The Lady Bears weren’t done there, with Ellis and Hannah Smith singling, with Charlton taking a walk to load the bases.
Hannah Thompson pinch hit, drawing a full count walk to drive in her first career RBI, pushing the BU lead to 11-3.
Another walk gave Scroggins the RBI, pushing BU’s lead to 12-3 and allowing Rodoni to close out the final frame in the run rule victory for the Lady Bears.
In game two, Goose McGlaun (3-1) went all 6.0 innings, allowing seven hits and two runs, striking out three and walking one.
After a scoreless opening inning, the BU bats came alive in the second, led off by a double for Ellis.
A bunt single and stolen base by Kettler put two in scoring position, with Ashely Marchand driving both in with a single to left, her first hit of the ballgame.
With Thompson reaching on a fielder’s choice, Charlton doubled down the line in left, pushing Thompson to third. An errant throw in from the outfield on Charlton’s hit put the ball in the BU dugout, with Thompson scoring on the play.
An RBI single through the left side of the infield by Dawson plated Charlton, finishing off a four-run inning for the BU bats.
In the bottom of the third, Marchand and Thompson went back-to-back on solo shots, pushing the BU lead to 6-0 through three.
Not slowing up in the home half of the fourth, Scroggins dropped in an infield single, moving to second on a Delaware error.
With Friudenberg reaching on a second error by the Blue Hens, McGlaun helped her own cause, launching a three-run shot that was well beyond the confines of the stadium walls, pushing the BU lead to 9-2.
Lexi Koltz entered the circle for BU in the top of the fifth, but after three-straight walks, McGlaun reentered the game with the bases loaded and limited the Blue Hens to three runs in the top of the fifth.
Wallace pinch hit for Dawson to lead off the frame, with Dawson reentering to run at first. A stolen base set up for an RBI double by Scroggins, but the runs left BU one shy of the run rule after five.
UD would score two more runs in the top of the sixth, the first of the game attributed to McGlaun.
BU finished things off in the home half of the sixth, with Alyssa Avalos leading off with a walk, followed by Thompson.
Dawson drew a hit by pitch to load the bases, with Scroggins reaching safely on an error by the Blue Hens that would score Avalos.
With the bases still loaded, Friudenberg launched a walk-off grand slam to finish off a 15-5 win in six innings.
