The Baylor Bears looked like they were finding their groove in the fourth inning. If head coach Mike White’s batter interference challenge had been overturned, it would’ve kept Baylor off the board. But to keep the Bears in a deficit, White took a risk with his last challenge of the game and succeeded in overturning a safe call at first base to push Texas into its dominant fourth inning.
In the first game of a two-day non-conference series, Texas defeated Baylor 10-2, setting program history with its 25-game win streak and third straight run-rule. The Longhorns relied on their offensive strength once again to power through the game, but freshman pitcher and utility Hannah Wells was an asset on both sides of the ball.
“We know the bar gets raised every single time you go out there,” White said. “It’s about not playing the scoreboard, it’s about playing the standard.”
Texas didn’t take Baylor’s effort in the top of the fourth inning kindly. A ball off the right centerfield wall hit from junior outfielder Kayden Henry’s bat secured Henry a trip to third base while picking up two RBIs.
In the same inning, senior catcher Reese Atwood ended the 10-inning home run drought for the Longhorns, elevating Texas up 7-1. Following Atwood in the lineup, junior catcher and infielder Katie Stewart didn’t give Baylor’s pitcher a break. With a 2-2 count, Stewart blasted a ball to left centerfield, bouncing off the stadium lightpost on its way out. Then, to secure the back-to-back-to-back home run, Wells hit her fourth four-bagger of the season, putting Texas over 9-1.
“We kind of call (Stewart) and (Atwood) our smash sisters because they just hit the ball over the fence so much,” Henry said. “Seeing (Wells) get that third one and then putting us up so much, I think it brought a lot of confidence to our players when we go back on defense.”
Wells was able to secure the win in the circle, pitching four innings and giving up just four hits and one run against 16 batters, averaging just over 15 pitches per inning. However, it was sophomore pitcher Cambria Salmon who wrapped up the game in the fifth. On Salmon’s second pitch, Baylor was able to shoot the ball past the padded fence, forcing the game to continue on into the bottom of the fifth. After that mistake, Salmon ended the top of the fifth in four at-bats, giving up one walk.
“What I like about it is (Salmon) came in and threw 14 pitches,” White said. “I mean, she was throwing the strikes; she wasn’t going to mess around.”
Texas didn’t waste any time ending the game early. Senior infielder Leighann Goode, who’s racked up an impressive .500 batting average, hit a walk-off single into left field, scoring Henry from second.
Texas secured the win in Austin and will travel up Interstate 35 to Waco to take on Baylor at Getterman Stadium Saturday, with first pitch scheduled for 6:30 p.m.
