Softball drops first Big 12 game of the season to No. 21 Baylor, 3-0

Tuesday, April 17

Austin, Texas

4:30 p.m.

University of Texas

26-16, 9-1

#21 Baylor

26-13, 4-6

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Baylor	0	3	0	0	0	0	0	3	8	0
Texas	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	3	1

Softball drops first Big 12 game of the season to No. 21 Baylor, 3-0

04.17.2018 | Softball

Box Score

The Lady Bears struck for three runs during a decisive second-inning outburst

AUSTIN, Texas – On Tuesday evening at Red & Charline McCombs Field, No. 21 Baylor (26-13, 4-6 Big 12 Conference) used a decisive three-run, second-inning outburst and strong pitching to hand Texas softball (26-16, 9-1 Big 12 Conference) its first league loss of the season, 3-0.

The Longhorns offense managed just three hits against BU starter Gia Rodoni with sophomore shortstop Kaitlyn Slack, junior center fielder Kay Kay Hayter and freshman second baseman Janae Jefferson each going 1-for-3 at the plate.

In the circle for the Burnt Orange & White, senior pitcher Paige von Sprecken (10-7) took the loss in a complete-game effort, allowing three earned runs on eight hits with two walks and two strikeouts.

"It's a tough one tonight," head coach Connie Clark said. "We thought we had a pretty decent game plan coming in against Rodoni, but we were guessing at the plate. We didn't really take the plan and commit to it fully, and got in a little bit of guess mode. You can't do that with quality pitching. Now we've got to move forward. Obviously, we'll end up seeing her again. It's a little bit of a split series. Obviously, we'll go to their place in a few weeks, and we're going to have to solve her to get at Baylor.

Baylor raced to the lead during the top of the second as a RBI groundout from right fielder Maddison Kettler and a two-RBI single to left by center fielder Jessie Scroggins boosted the Lady Bears to a 3-0 advantage.

Texas managed its first hit and base runner of the contest off Rodoni with two down in the bottom of the third as Jefferson drove a single the other way to left. That was all the Longhorns would get, however, as a strikeout quickly ended the frame.

With von Sprecken having settled in following the tough second inning, the Longhorns got their best scoring chance of the contest underway with two outs in the bottom of the fifth. Slack blooped a single just in front of on-rushing Baylor right fielder Kettler and then Hayter beat out an infield single to put two aboard. Unfortunately for UT, Jefferson stepped to the dish and lifted a promising liner to left, but it hung up too long as BU's Kyla Walker raced over to track it down for the third out.

Facing one last chance to try to get back in the game in the seventh, Texas got a leadoff walk from freshman third baseman MK Tedder but nothing else against Rodoni as the Lady Bears prevailed, 3-0.