North Texas Daily

Reece Waddell | Senior Staff Writer

@ReeceWaddell15

Coming into its bout with North Texas, No. 19 Baylor University had lost seven games. Two of them came against the Mean Green (18-13, 3-6) more than a month ago, and the Lady Bears (28-7, 2-0) looked determined to right the ship, limiting North Texas to just three hits in a 2-0 victory.

The Mean Green had its opportunities though, twice squandering runners in scoring position with chances to tie the game.

“We had those chances,” junior infielder Kelli Schkade said. “We have to do a better job of having timely hits. We could have scored, but we just didn’t come through with it.”

North Texas got two runners on board in the first inning but was unable to drive either in. Baylor then scratched across the game’s first run on a sacrifice fly to right field.

“The pitch that I threw, she just got on top of it,” junior pitcher Jessica Elder said. “It was more of the wind that carried it over.”

Baylor threatened again in the second inning, but Elder was able to work her way out of a jam. With the bases loaded and an opportunity for Baylor to break the game wide open, Elder got a lineout to second base to end the threat.

Unfortunately for North Texas, its bats did not wake up as quickly as its gloves. The Mean Green were sat down in order in the first two innings, but had a scoring chance of its own in the third. After getting runners at the corners with two outs, North Texas fouled out to first base to end the inning.

“I thought [Baylor] made some tough pitches,” head coach Tracey Kee said. “We could have done a better job of just putting the ball in play. Overall, it was a well-played game by both sides. I thought we held our ground. We just didn’t get that timely hit.”

Both sides went quietly for the next two innings with neither squad able to solve the other. But with a runner at second in the sixth inning, Baylor got an insurance run on an RBI double to the gap in left field which ultimately put the game out of reach.

“[Baylor] needed a win tonight bad,” Schkade said. “They only have seven losses on the season and we’re two of them. I can definitely see them coming out and wanting to get it.”

Next up: North Texas returns home for a four-game home stand starting with Florida International University on Saturday, April 2. First pitch is slated for 1 p.m.