OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. – It was a Baylor rally for the ages on Saturday night in Women’s College World Series action at the ASA Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City, Okla., as the Bears battled back from a sixth-inning, seven-run deficit to shockingly eliminate Kentucky, 8-7 (8 inn.).
After controlling the Baylor offense through the first five frames, UK pitcher Kelsey Nunley was roughed up for eight total runs, only four earned, over the final three innings to suffer a truly heartbreaking defeat. BU’s Heather Stearns (15-4) picked up the victory in relief, permitting just a single hit and striking out one over 2.1 frames.
Six different Baylor hitters recorded at least one RBI as part of a 13-hit offensive assault with the biggest hit coming off the bat of Robin Landrith. With two outs in the bottom of the seventh, the designated player unleashed a clutch, game-tying double off the wall in left to make it 7-7. Second baseman Ari Hawkins was 2-for-4 with a home run, while center fielder Lindsey Cargill went 3-for-4 with an RBI.
Kentucky’s offense banged out 10 hits of their own, including three home runs. UK was guided by a 3-for-4 effort from Krystal Smith as the second baseman posted a double, a HR and an RBI. Right fielder Emily Gaines (1-for-4) and designated player Ginny Carroll (1-for-4) each blasted big flies in the losing effort.
Box Score | Baylor Quotes | Kentucky Quotes | Notes
"Wow! I won't forget that one until I forget who I am! (Laughter)," Baylor head coach Glenn Moore said. "These girls are incredible. You know, they just didn't quit believing. For five innings we weren't even in the game.
"That's why you play seven, I guess. I just thought we were facing a team destined to win and there was nothing we could do about it. Three outs to go and I was thinking there is not much hope, I turned to my little boy in the dugout and I said "You aren't going to cry after this are you?" And he said "Cry? ****we're going to win!"
"And I was like "Yeah! That's the kind of faith I need right now!" Just unbelievable execution and fight from these girls. At the beginning of the game we couldn't throw it anywhere in a strike zone the size of a refrigerator that they couldn't hit. It was pretty amazing. I've never seen a team free swing the way they were at everything we let go of and we were hitting it. With every pitch, we tried everything and they were hitting it.
"Let me say, hats off to Kentucky. What Rachel has done there is just a phenomenal job. I think they're a lot like our program, and I just really respect the heck out of what they've done and the way they play the game. I have to give it up to the girls and let them talk about it. Amazing, amazing feat."
It was the ‘Cats that broke the deadlock on the scoreboard in the top of the second, and they did so via the long ball. Gaines got the power assault started by driving a one-out solo HR to right, granting the ‘Cats a 1-0 lead. Following a Smith double and a pop-up to shallow center for out number two, Carroll stepped into the box and blasted a two-run shot to left center as the lead quickly expanded to three tallies. NFCA All-American starter Whitney Canion was removed from the circle in favor of reliever Liz Paul, and the new hurler immediately struck out UK shortstop Christian Stokes to stem the bleeding.
A bunt single from Cargill with one down in the bottom of the third marked the initial hit in the contest for the Bears. Unfortunately for BU she never moved from her spot at first as right fielder Kaitlyn Thumann struck out looking and Hawkins popped up to the circle.
Baylor helped the ‘Cats add to their advantage in the top of the fourth. After Smith singled to center with one out, left fielder Emily Jolly drove a base knock of her own to right center. Baylor’s Thumann raced over from her defensive position in right and bobbled the ball on two separate occasions for a two-base error as Smith scored to make it 4-0. On a bouncer to third by Carroll, the ball was corralled and thrown home but proved too late to catch Jolly as she slid in safely for a five-run lead.
With two down in the bottom of the fifth, Baylor got its first real scoring threat underway against Nunley. Landrith lifted a ball down the left field line that dropped near the chalk between two UK defenders for a hit. Cargill followed with a base knock through the left side, and suddenly, the Bears had a pair aboard. Nunley wasn’t fazed, however, inducing a “can of corn” to right off the bat of Thumann as BU left two stranded.
Controversy reigned with some in attendance at the ASA Hall of Fame Stadium opening the sixth as a high drive from Kentucky’s Smith was judged to have traveled directly over the top of the foul pole in left for a solo HR as the advantage expanded to 6-0. A Christian Stokes double to right center, an infield single from center fielder Sylver Samuel and a double steal plated another as the ‘Cats pushed their run total to seven.
With time running short to mount any sort of rally, Baylor’s offense started the sixth with consecutive singles by Hawkins and first baseman Holly Holl. A groundout moved both base runners into scoring position where a single into the hole at short off the bat of left fielder Linsey Hays knocked in BU’s first run of the contest. A base knock to center from third baseman Sarah Smith packed the bags full of Bears with still just one retired. That set the stage for Strickland as she stepped to the dish and delivered an RBI single to left, plating Holl to make it 7-2. The UK advantage continued to dwindle with two outs as Cargill knocked in a tally on a shot through the right side. With the potential tying run at the plate, Nunley managed to get out of the huge jam by striking out Thumann to leave the bases juiced.
Faced with one final chance to avoid elimination, trailing by four in the bottom of the seventh, Hawkins started off the Bear half inning in promising fashion by hammering a solo shot to left. A fielding error on a bouncer to second by Holl allowed her to reach safely and suddenly the contest got a little tenser for those clad in Blue & White. With two down, a Smith RBI double made it 7-5, and Strickland followed with a walk to keep the threat alive. On a 2-2 count facing tremendous pressure, Landrith crushed a ball to left that ricocheted off the wall for a two-bagger and suddenly the match-up was dead locked at 7-7. Cargill lined out sharply to third to end the frame as the two squads would shockingly require extra softball to settle things on Saturday night at the WCWS.
After getting the ‘Cats in order in the top of the eighth, Baylor’s Thumann christened the bottom half with a ringing double into the right center gap. Hawkins dropped a potential sacrifice bunt out in front of the plate and started down the first-base line. The ball got away at first for an error, rolling into right as Thumann easily scored to complete an amazing Bear rally, 8-7 in eight innings.
