SAN ANTONIO, Texas - The Baylor softball team (16-6) upped its winning streak to seven games, scoring six runs in the top of the seventh en route to an 8-1 win over UTSA (7-14) Tuesday night in San Antonio.
"I thought we played great defense tonight," head coach Glenn Moore said. "We lacked some energy on offense early on, but it was good to finish strong the way we did."
Courtney Repka (9-3) went the distance, allowing just four hits, one run, two walks and four strikeouts in 7.0 innings.
Megan Turk tied career highs with three hits and three RBI, going 3-for-4 on the night, while Tiffany Wesley went 3-for-5 with an RBI.
Nicole Wesley led off the second inning with a walk, then proceeded to steal second and advance to third when the throw went over the shortstop's head and into center field. With one out, Megan Turk singled up the middle to bring Wesley in for a 1-0 lead.
The Lady Bears doubled their lead in the fifth with a one-out single from KJ Freeland. Following a Freeland steal, Tiffany Wesley singled through the left side to put runners at first and third. Kayce Walker then reached on an error from shortstop that allowed Freeland to score from third for a 2-0 advantage.
With two outs in the sixth, the Lady Bears looked to up their lead as Bree Hanafin walked followed by back-to-back- singles from Turk and Freeland. However, a groundout to first ended the threat, stranded the bases loaded.
UTSA got on the board in the bottom of the sixth with a leadoff home run from Ashley Kappler to cut the lead in half. Repka kept the lead at one with a pair of strikeouts, maintaining a 2-1 advantage.
Baylor busted the game open with a six-run seventh. With one out, pinch hitter Sydney Wilson walked and pinch hitter Kelsi Kettler reached on a fielding error by the first baseman, allowing Wilson to reach third. Dani Leal then laced a two-RBI single up the middle, followed by an RBI-single from Hanafin for a 5-1 lead. Turk continued her hot hitting day, notching her third hit with a pair of RBI on a single through the right side. Up 7-1, T. Wesley ripped a double down the right field line for a seven-run cushion.
Repka shut down the Roadrunners in the seventh, retiring the side on five pitches.
BU stranded nine runners on the evening, while UTSA left just five on base.
Baylor will be back in action on Wednesday to face Texas State at 6:00 p.m. in San Marcos.
The Baylor softball team (15-6) will remain on the road, traveling to UTSA (7-13) for a 5:00 p.m. game Tuesday, followed by a Wednesday night matchup against Texas State (8-11) at 6:00 p.m.
Free live audio for Tuesday's game against UTSA can be found at goutsa.com, however, Wednesday's game at Texas State can be heard live on baylorbears.com.
#25 Baylor (15-6) at UTSA [7-13]
Tuesday, March 9, 5:00 p.m.
#25 Baylor (15-6) at Texas State [8-11]
Wednesday, March 10, 6:00 p.m.
The Series
Baylor vs. UTSA: Baylor leads, 15-12
In San Antonio: UTSA leads, 6-5
Baylor vs. Texas State: Baylor leads, 31-14
In San Marcos: Baylor leads, 3-1
Rankings (NFCA, ESPN.com)
Baylor (15-6): RV, 25
UTSA (7-13): NR, NR
Texas State (8-11): NR, NR
SCOUTING UTSA
The Roadrunners, who will wrap up an 11-game homestand Tuesday, dropped two of three games to Stephen F. Austin over the weekend in their second Southland Conference home series of the week. Caitlyn Ivy leads the way with a .448 average with five doubles, eight home runs and 21 RBI.
SCOUTING TEXAS STATE
The Bobcats have won five-straight, including a sweep of Sam Houston State this past weekend. Texas State is hitting .262 as a team, and are led by Haley Lemons' .373 average and nine RBI. Chandler Hall has a 6-5 record in the circle and has a 3.08 ERA 90 strikeouts in 79.2 innings.
WESLEY'S MIRRORING EACH OTHER
Not only are twin sisters Tiffany and Nicole Wesley identical in physical appearance, but they are mirroring each other on the softball field. The duo are each batting over .400 and are a perfect 8-for-8 in stolen bases. Nicole leads the Big 12 Conference with a .476 average, while Tiffany is tied for the team lead in runs scored with 19.
NIETEN WAS ALL SHE NEEDED
Maybe it was a change in the name, but Courtney Nieten (who was formerly Courtney Oberg and until her wedding in December) has busted out and swung a hot bat. She has hit successfully in her last nine games and is second on the team with 20 RBI. In addition, she is 8-for-10 in RBI opportunities with runners on third and less than two outs, proving she can come through in the clutch.
VANNATTA BREAKS OUT
Jordan Vannatta came into the season with one home run and 13 RBI in her career, as well as a batting average of .179. She has busted out this season, hitting .389 with five homers and 25 RBI.
CLOSE LOSSES
Of Baylor's six losses so far this season, four of them have come by one loss, while another was in extra innings. In addition, four losses have come to ranked teams.
TWO OUTS? NO PROBLEM
The Lady Bears have had a knack for scoring with two outs this season. Of the 127 RBI so far, 56 (44 percent) of them have come with two outs.
DROPPING BOMBS
While it may not be 2007, the power is back in the Baylor lineup. In 2009, the Lady Bears hit 31 home runs in 62 games, however, in 2010 BU has hit 22 home runs through 21 games.
HOMERS COMING IN PAIRS
Heading into the season, Brette Reagan was the last player to hit two home runs in a game, doing so against Iowa State on May 9, 2008. However, so far in 2010, it has happened three times. Dani Leal has done it twice (2/14 at Houston and 3/6 at New Mexico) and Bree Hanafin blasted a pair on March 6 at New Mexico.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - The No. 25 Baylor softball team (13-6) used two big innings to sweep a doubleheader from New Mexico (8-8), winning 8-0 (5) in game one and 7-3 in game two.
"Our bats came alive at the right times today," head coach Glenn Moore said. "It's tough to win doubleheaders and I am proud of the toughness we showed to fight back in game two."
Kayce Walker extended her hit streak to 14 games, while Tiffany Wesley's streak is at 11 and Courtney Nieten is at seven.
Game One
BU 8, New Mexico 0 (5)
The Lady Bears used a seven-run third inning to blank the Lobos, 8-0 in five innings in game one.
Whitney Canion went 5.0 innings, allowing five hits, no runs, one walk and striking out six.
With the game scoreless, Baylor busted out with seven runs on eight hits in the third inning. Kayce Walker got it started with a one-out single, followed by a single from Jordan Vannatta. Courtney Nieten stepped to the plate and delivered a double down the left field line for a 2-0 lead. With two outs, Megan Turk ripped an RBI-single to left, that was followed by a single from Leal that scored Nicole Wesley, and a double from Sydney Wilson brought Turk and Leal in for a 6-0 lead. The Lady Bears' final run came when Tiffany Wesley stole second, forcing a throw that allowed Wilson to break for home and slide in safely for a 7-0 advantage.
Baylor added one more in the fourth, as Nicole Wesley doubled to drive in Vannatta, making it 8-0.
Canion kept the Lobos' bats quiet the rest of the way, and Baylor picked up its sixth win in a five-inning game.
Game Two
BU 7, New Mexico 3
Baylor rallied back from a 3-2 deficit in the top of the seventh, scoring five runs to defeat New Mexico 7-3 in game two.
Megan Turk got Baylor out to a 1-0 lead in the third, connecting on a solo home run to left center, her first of the season.
The Lobos answered back with two in the bottom half of the inning, as a pair of RBI-singles brought two around to score, giving UNM a 2-1 lead.
New Mexico added another run in the fourth when Cassandra Kalapsa tripled down the right field line, and was brought in to score on an error at third, giving the Lobos a two-run cushion.
Vannatta got the Lady Bears one run closer in the sixth with a an RBI-double that scored N. Wesley.
Needing a rally and down to its last two outs, Turk singled to first to get it started and Bree Hanafin pinch ran for her at first.. Following a walk by Wilson, Hanafin and Wilson pulled off a double steal to get both runners in scoring position. With two outs, T. Wesley doubled to left center for a pair of RBI and the lead. Walker, Vannatta and Nieted each followed with RBI-singles, and Leal doubled for an RBI of her own and a 7-3 lead.
Canion came on to finish the game, allowing one hit and striking out two in the seventh.
Courtney Repka (8-3) picked up the win, going 6.0 innings, allowing seven hits, three runs, two earned, one walk and three strikeouts.
The Lady Bears and Lobos will complete the four-game series with a doubleheader Saturday, beginning at noon CT.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - The No. 25 Baylor softball team (13-6) used two big innings to sweep a doubleheader from New Mexico (8-8), winning 8-0 (5) in game one and 7-3 in game two.
"Our bats came alive at the right times today," head coach Glenn Moore said. "It's tough to win doubleheaders and I am proud of the toughness we showed to fight back in game two."
Kayce Walker extended her hit streak to 14 games, while Tiffany Wesley's streak is at 11 and Courtney Nieten is at seven.
Game One
BU 8, New Mexico 0 (5)
The Lady Bears used a seven-run third inning to blank the Lobos, 8-0 in five innings in game one.
Whitney Canion went 5.0 innings, allowing five hits, no runs, one walk and striking out six.
With the game scoreless, Baylor busted out with seven runs on eight hits in the third inning. Kayce Walker got it started with a one-out single, followed by a single from Jordan Vannatta. Courtney Nieten stepped to the plate and delivered a double down the left field line for a 2-0 lead. With two outs, Megan Turk ripped an RBI-single to left, that was followed by a single from Leal that scored Nicole Wesley, and a double from Sydney Wilson brought Turk and Leal in for a 6-0 lead. The Lady Bears' final run came when Tiffany Wesley stole second, forcing a throw that allowed Wilson to break for home and slide in safely for a 7-0 advantage.
Baylor added one more in the fourth, as Nicole Wesley doubled to drive in Vannatta, making it 8-0.
Canion kept the Lobos' bats quiet the rest of the way, and Baylor picked up its sixth win in a five-inning game.
Game Two
BU 7, New Mexico 3
Baylor rallied back from a 3-2 deficit in the top of the seventh, scoring five runs to defeat New Mexico 7-3 in game two.
Megan Turk got Baylor out to a 1-0 lead in the third, connecting on a solo home run to left center, her first of the season.
The Lobos answered back with two in the bottom half of the inning, as a pair of RBI-singles brought two around to score, giving UNM a 2-1 lead.
New Mexico added another run in the fourth when Cassandra Kalapsa tripled down the right field line, and was brought in to score on an error at third, giving the Lobos a two-run cushion.
Vannatta got the Lady Bears one run closer in the sixth with a an RBI-double that scored N. Wesley.
Needing a rally and down to its last two outs, Turk singled to first to get it started and Bree Hanafin pinch ran for her at first.. Following a walk by Wilson, Hanafin and Wilson pulled off a double steal to get both runners in scoring position. With two outs, T. Wesley doubled to left center for a pair of RBI and the lead. Walker, Vannatta and Nieted each followed with RBI-singles, and Leal doubled for an RBI of her own and a 7-3 lead.
Canion came on to finish the game, allowing one hit and striking out two in the seventh.
Courtney Repka (8-3) picked up the win, going 6.0 innings, allowing seven hits, three runs, two earned, one walk and three strikeouts.
The Lady Bears and Lobos will complete the four-game series with a doubleheader Saturday, beginning at noon CT.
SCOUTING NEW MEXICO
New Mexico enters this weekend's four games after going 3-3 at the UTEP Tournament. BU and UNM have two common opponents, with both teams losing to UTEP, while Baylor defeated UT Arlington and the Lobos lost to UTA.
Senior first baseman Katie Gilmore and sophomore pitcher Samantha Gatson were named the Mountain West Conference Softball Player and Pitcher of the Week, the conference announced Tuesday. Gilmore leads the team in batting average (.457), RBI (11) and stolen bases (7). Gatson is 3-0 with a 2.01 ERA and 15 strikeouts in 24.1 innings.
1983
Baylor is making its first trip to Albuquerque since March 8, 1983 when it suffered a 4-3 loss. The Lobos lead the all-time series, 6-5, but Baylor has won the last four meetings.
WALKER GETS HER GROOVE BACK
Kayce Walker has exploded since a tough opening weekend that saw her go 2-for-21 (.095) with six strikeouts. Since then, she has gone 23-for-39 (.590) and is on a 12-game hit streak. The sophomore leads the team on the basepaths with nine steals.
T. WES HEATING UP
Although Tiffany Wesley is on a nine-game hitting streak, she has really heated up over her last seven games. The senior is 13-for-21 (.619) with one home run, one double and one triple. In addition, the leadoff hitter is slugging .905 and has an on-base percentage of .636.
NIETEN WAS ALL SHE NEEDED
Maybe it was a change in the name, but Courtney Nieten (who was formerly Courtney Oberg and until her wedding in December) has busted out and swung a hot bat. She has hit successfully in her last five games and is second on the team with 15 RBI. In addition, she is a perfect 8-for-9 in RBI opportunities with runners on third and less than two outs, proving she can come through in the clutch.
VANNATTA BREAKS OUT
Jordan Vannatta came into the season with one home run and 13 RBI in her career, as well as a batting average of .179. She has busted out this season, hitting .357 with four homers and 19 RBI.
In addition, she had five RBI in game two against Prairie View A&M on March 2, making it the first time a Lady Bear had done so since Jordan Daniels did so on Feb. 19, 2009 against the Panthers.
TWO OUTS? NO PROBLEM
The Lady Bears have had a knack for scoring with two outs this season. Of the 91 RBI so far, 36 (40 percent) of them have come with two outs.
BRUIN UP AN UPSET
Baylor took down No. 3 UCLA for the first time in history on Feb. 27. The win marked the highest ranked opponent the Lady Bears have defeated since knocking off No. 1 Florida, 1-0 on Feb. 8, 2009.
RARE BACK-TO-BACK BLASTS
On Feb. 13, Vannatta and Bree Hanafin hit back-to-back home runs, making it the first time it had happened since Feb. 9, 2007 when Kirsten Shortridge and Kelsey Sage hit a pair at home against Southern Miss.
But Baylor didn't have to wait long for it to happen again, as Vannatta and Nieten went back-to-back on Feb. 19 against Central Arkansas.
CANION'S SORE CANNON
Whitney Canion was forced to sit out of the QTI Getterman Classic with a minor stress reaction in her pitching arm. She is working her way back, and helped guide the Lady Bears to a 7-5 win over No. 3 UCLA on Feb. 27, throwing four scoreless innings.
T. WES HOLDS ERRORLESS STREAK
Senior left fielder Tiffany Wesley has gone 89-straight games without making an error (a program record), dating back to her last error on March 30, 2008 at Oklahoma State.
