Dynamic Offense, Stellar Pitching Help Baylor Advance to NCAA Regional Final
AUSTIN, Texas — Baylor Softball’s lineup spent Saturday attempting to one-up its dazzling pitching staff.
Both ended up propelling Baylor to its 13th Regional final appearance as they downed Wagner, 9-0 in five innings and Wisconsin, 5-2 on Saturday afternoon in the NCAA Austin Regional at Red & Charline McCombs Field.
The wins set up a Regional final matchup with No. 2 Texas. The Bears would need to beat the Longhorns twice to advance to the super regionals, with the first game set for noon Sunday.
Prior to Saturday, the Bears had scored just nine runs in their previous six games, but put up 14 runs on 22 hits and struck out just one time against the Seahawks and Badgers.
Baylor (30-27) also turned up its aggression on the base paths as it came into Saturday averaging just 1.3 steals per game, but swiped five bags against Wagner (22-28) and three more against Wisconsin (33-21).
Leah Cran was nearly untouchable on the day, going 4-for-5 at the plate with a home run, two doubles, 5 RBI’s and a pair of walks across both games. Brooklyn Carter was constantly on base and active in stealing bases, going 5-for-6 over the course of the day, with three steals and four runs.
Junior Sadie Ross threw the fourth no-hitter in Baylor postseason history and 23rd all-time against the Seahawks, striking out six batters and walking just two.
Meanwhile, it was a staff effort against Wisconsin, with Lexie Warncke, Ross and Peyton Tanner combining to hold Wisconsin to two runs.
The Badgers came into the game third in the country in comeback wins, but only did damage on two pitches, a pair of solo home runs in the first and fourth innings.
Wisconsin loaded the bases in the sixth with one out, in prime position for one of its coveted comebacks, but Tanner, who threw 8.1 innings against the Badgers the night before, slammed the door.
She struck out a batter, then induced a fly ball to left field to get out of the jam.
Baylor put up a four-spot in the first inning against Wisconsin, thanks in big part to aggressive baserunning and executing at the plate. Carter singled into left field, then Sa’Mya Jones advanced Carter to third on a bunt single. Tovan was hit by a pitch before Cran sliced a single in between first and second base to score Carter.
Two batters later, Olivia Buettner dropped a 2-RBI single into left field to make it 4-1.
Cran led the charge of nine runs against Wagner, going 3-for-3 and finishing a triple shy of the cycle.
She had three of the team’s six runs in the second inning, the highest scoring run in a frame all season.
Cran took the first pitch of the inning over the left field fence for a solo homer. She concluded the scoring in the frame with a 2-RBI single up the middle to make it 7-0.
The Bears got a pair in scoring position to begin the day as Carter ripped a hard single at the first baseman, then stole second a few pitches later. Jones chopped a single up the middle and stole second to set up second and third with no one out.
Faith Piper sent Carter home on a sacrifice fly, but Jones was tagged out after being caught in the middle of second and third on the outfielder’s throw.
Baylor was caught in the base paths in scoring position for the second straight inning, as Kaygen Marshall took too wide a turn and was thrown out at third in the following frame.
Jensen Vienne came through clutch with two outs to salvage it as she doubled into the left-center gap, scoring Buettner, who laid down a successful bunt the batter prior. Carter continued the run as she ripped a triple off the top of the right field wall, just a few feet shy of a home run to make it 4-0.
Jones kept it going with a deep grounder into shortstop that she beat out to increase the lead to 5-0. It forced a pitching change after just 1.2 innings for NEC Pitcher of the Year Karson Zavalda.
The Bears had a single, double, triple and home run in the span of six at-bats.
Baylor finished with 12 hits, tied for the most in a game since February 13th’s 11-2 win over San Diego State.
