Bobcats Squeeze Their Way To An Upset Over #22 Baylor

With several ample opportunities to grab a hold of the ball game, the Bobcats found themselves down by a run heading to the bottom of the ninth inning. The Baylor Lady Bears were eager to sneak out of San Marcos with a 3-2 victory and ruin Chandler Hall's nine innings of hard work; meanwhile leaving the Bobcats scratching their heads wondering how they lost control of the firm grip the seemed to have Wednesday evening. The only problem for Glenn Moore and his Lady Bears stemmed from the fact that the Bobcats were just as eager to make sure that did not happen, and that's exactly what they did. With the aid of the extra inning rule and a lead off triple from Senior Kristina Tello, Chandler Hall stepped up to the plate with the winning run on third and laid down a perfect suicide squeeze bunt that abruptly ended the intense nine inning affair and sent the #22 ranked Lady Bears packing. In a match-up where something had to give, the Bobcats ended the Lady Bears seven game win streak and extended their own win streak to six games and a 9-11 overall record. The 4-3 victory was a minor jab of revenge as the Bobcats' season ended last year in the Waco Regional due in major part to the 2009 Lady Bears; but after Wednesday night all of that is pushed back just a little further in the history books.

It was the first visit for the Baylor University Softball program to San Marcos since Bobcat Field was renovated, and the Bobcats made them feel as welcome as any road opponent. The 'Cats started with a three up three down defensive top of the first, and an early run in the bottom of the frame from a McKenzie Baack RBI fielders choice. Baylor starting pitcher Courtney Repka found herself in trouble all night due to walks (8 total) but managed to pitch herself out of jams all throughout the first 4 innings. On the other hand, Chandler Hall breezed through the first five innings only giving up two infield hits in the second with each frame lasting less than 5 minutes.

Baylor plated their first run in the top of the sixth off of a pass ball and a two base error as Freshman Catcher Macie Hair simply could not locate the wild pitch, resulting in a 1-1 deadlock going into the bottom of the sixth. Then, in the bottom of the sixth Jenna Emery crushed a two out double in the left center gap which lead to a pinch hit single up the middle off of the bat of sophomore Allison Snow marking her first hit of the 2010 season. The clutch hit put the Bobcats up by one with three outs to go. The Lady Bears would not go quietly though, as Nicole Wesley lead off the seventh with a double and eventually came around to score with a two out single off the bat off her sister Tiffany Wesley and the battle would continue. In extra innings, both ball clubs had trouble getting down sacrifice bunts as both offenses were shut down in the eighth inning.

Baylor with small ball in the top of the ninth as well and temporarily swiped a one run lead in the top of the ninth off of a suicide squeeze play, which also marked the first time the Bobcats were trailing in the game. Then in the bottom of the ninth, Kristina Tello lead off with a triple over Tiffany Wesley in left field which tied up the game and eventually lead to Chandler Hall giving the Bears a taste of their own medicine with the one out, walk off suicide squeeze.

Hall threw all nine innings for the Cats and recorded 11 strikeouts, notching her record to 7-5 on the year and dropping her E.R.A back under the 3 mark to 2.92. Kristina Tello was the only Bobcat that had a multi-hit day going 2-4 with an RBI and and scored the winning run. The Bobcats also got away with leaving 11 on base, and notched their first win over a Big 12 opponent in the 2010 season bringing that record to 1-2. Look for this to be a benchmark victory for the ladies as they continue on to Lake Charles, Louisiana on Saturday to take on their Southland Conference foe McNeese State and eventually will make it out to Lubbock for a double-header against the Texas Tech Lady Raiders next Tuesday.

-Weston Warner, KTSW Sports Staff Writer