WACO, Texas – No. 11 Baylor soccer (19-5-0) took full control in the second period, blowing by No. 13 Vanderbilt (16-4-1) for a 3-1 win on Friday evening at Betty Lou Mays Soccer Field.
Carrying a No. 2 national seed, the Bears maintained their perfect record at home in 2018, improving their program record home standing to 12-0.
BU came out with a strong start, punching their first score through in the fifth minute. Giuliana Cunningham headed in a goal off a corner from Ally Henderson, giving the Bears the quick 1-0 advantage.
The Commodores took advantage of a chaotic sequence in front of the Baylor box, connecting on the equalizer in the 14th minute to tie the match back at 1-1.
After a quiet end to the first period, the Bears bounced back early in the second, taking back the lead in the 53rd minute.
After a blocked shot bounced right back to Ally Henderson, she crossed in a pass to Raegan Padgett, who punched in the score for the Bears, regaining a 2-1 lead.
Finding insurance in the 74th minute, Raegan Padgett won a second ball off a header in the box, passing a ball up to Julie James in front of the net, with the senior captain using some a left-footed kick to ice the 3-1 lead and victory for the Bears.
Baylor stays home for its third round action, facing No. 12 Virginia on Sunday, Nov. 18, at 7 p.m. at Betty Lou Mays Soccer Field. A win for the Bears would give BU a trip back into the Elite 8, either going to the No. 1-seeded Georgetown squad or hosting Duke next weekend.
