WACO, Texas – Western Illinois (2-7) softball fell by the slimmest of margins to Baylor (7-2), 2-1 in extra innings and Prairie View A&M (3-6), 8-7 on day two of the Getterman Classic on Saturday (Feb. 15).
Baylor 2, Western Illinois 1 (8 innings)
Western struck first in the top of the second after Ashley Minyard reached on a fielder's choice and Sydney Hollings drove her in on a double to right-center.
The host Bears answered in the bottom of the third on a groundball single up the middle by Josie Bower to even the score at 1-1. Baylor positioned a runner in scoring position in the bottom of the fifth, but Abby Carlin got Taylor Ellis to chase on a pitch in the dirt.
Carlin put an exclamation point on a three up, three down bottom of the seventh inning with a swinging strikeout to send the game to extras.
The international tiebreaker rule was in effect and Hollings was placed at second base to begin the frame. She moved to third on an error and Piper Foote reached base on a dropped third strike. With runners at the corners and two down, Alyssa Ealy nearly legged an infield single but was ruled out by a half a step to end the threat.
Utilizing the automatic runner at second base, the Bears took advantage of a runner at third with two outs on a walk-off RBI single to center by Emily Hott.
Abby Carlin (1-3) went the distance only allowing one earned run on 10 scattered hits with three punch-outs.
Prairie View A&M 8, Western Illinois 7
Prairie View A&M jumped out to an early 3-0 lead in the top of the first, but the Leathernecks were eager to respond. Halle Hollatz doubled home Alyssa Ealy to put Western on the board. Kellie Marcheschi followed that up with a two-run single to left field for an early 3-3 tie.
Marcheschi added her third RBI of the game on another single to left field, trimming the deficit to 5-4 in the bottom of the third. With two down, Daytona Dooley (making her first collegiate start) reached on an error by the left fielder that scored three WIU runs.
The Panthers were not trailing 7-5 for long as the go-ahead run crossed in the top of the fourth on an infield single for an unearned run.
The score remained 8-7, heading into the bottom of the seventh when Marcheschi singled yet again to lead off the inning. However, three consecutive fly-outs ended the game.
Savannah Rodriguez surrendered five runs (two earned) over 2.2 innings in a starting role. Maddy Anderson (1-2) took the loss allowing two earned runs with a pair of strikeouts.
Western Illinois will wrap up the Getterman Classic at 10 a.m. on Sunday (Feb. 16) against Grand Canyon.
