April 6, 2012

Box Score

No. 22/25 Baylor 6, Kansas 1 Getterman Stadium // Waco, Texas

Junior left fielder Maggie Hull hit her team-leading sixth home run at Baylor. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E KU 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 4 0 BU 0 0 0 4 2 0 X 6 9 0 Box Score | Box Score  Leaders - Batting Kansas AB R H RBI BB HR M. Hull 3 1 1 1 0 1 A. Newman 3 0 1 0 0 0 Baylor             M. Turk 3 1 2 2 0 1 S. Crockett 1 1 1 2 0 1  Pitching Kansas IP H R ER BB SO M. Druhan (L, 7-4) 3.2 5 3 3 2 1 K. Martinez 0.2 4 3 3 1 0 A. Spencer 1.2 0 0 0 1 0 Baylor             L. Paul (W, 8-5) 7.0 4 1 1 0 3

WACO, Texas -Two home runs fueled the four-run fourth that pushed No. 22/25 Baylor past the Kansas softball team in the nightcap of a series-opening doubleheader, 6-1, Friday evening at Getterman Stadium.

After Baylor (26-12, 3-6) held the Jayhawks (23-12, 2-9) scoreless in game one, junior left fielder Maggie Hull put Kansas on the board first in the nightcap when she pulled a home run over the right field wall. Her team-leading sixth homer of the season handed Kansas the 1-0 lead in the fourth.

Unfortunately for the Jayhawks, the lead was short lived. Baylor responded to the Jayhawks' run in their half of the fourth with a four-spot in the bottom of the frame to propel the Bears to a lead they would not relinquish. Two more runs in the fifth cemented the final score.

Sophomore Liz Paul (8-5) went the distance in the circle for Baylor, striking out three and spreading out four Jayhawk hits in her seventh complete game of the year.

At the plate, senior third baseman Megan Turk and freshman Sarah Crockett led the Bears with a pair of two-run home runs. Shelton and freshman shortstop Jordan Strickland contributed two hits apiece.

In the circle for Kansas, starter Morgan Druhan (7-4) kept the Bears off the scoreboard for the first three innings before running into the Baylor rally. A pair of singles and a two-run home run prompted Druhan's departure for reliever Kristin Martinez.

Druhan finished her outing with three earned runs surrendered on five hits in 3.2 innings of work. Martinez also allowed three runs, but her appearance lasted just long enough to record two outs. After coming into the weekend with only eight home runs, Baylor's lineup managed to hit one of off Druhan and Martinez in the pivotal four-run fourth inning.

Senior Ashley Spencer came in to relieve Martinez in the bottom of the fifth and went on to throw 1.2 innings of shutout softball. She didn't allow a single hit in her appearance and only walked one.

The other half of the battery, freshman catcher Lexi Bryant, posted the most notable highlight when she tossed out Baylor centerfielder Kathy Shelton attempting to steal second. Shelton entered Friday's game two a perfect 20-for-20 on the year before Bryant racked up her Big 12-best ninth runner caught stealing in the bottom of the third.

Sophomore second baseman Ashley Newman added to the Jayhawk highlights when she singled in the sixth and swiped second, making her a perfect 19-for-19 in stolen base attempts season. Redshirt senior Liz Kocon and freshman third baseman Chanin Naudin each chipped in a hit in the contest. Naudin now has at least one hit in her last four Big 12 games.

UP NEXT
Kansas and Baylor will face off the series finale on Saturday morning. First pitch is set for 11 a.m.