Grand Slam Spoils No. 4 Baker’s Opening Round Battle with Top-Seed USAO

CHICKASHA, Okla. - Carrying a three-run lead into the fifth inning, No. 4 Baker couldn't hang on to complete its upset bid over top-seed USAO as the Wildcats fell to the Drovers, 5-3 on Tuesday in game three of the NAIA Softball Opening Round.

After opening up play of the Chickasha bracket with a 3-0 win yesterday, BU looked to have its second straight three-run shutout dialed up before a prolonged fifth inning resulted in a five-run frame for the Drovers, punctuated by a game-shifting grand slam.

Both sides finished with eight hits in the game with BU starter Kira Baker tossing four straight scoreless innings to begin her back-to-back outing after notching her eighth shutout of the season in yesterday's win over No. 5 Friends.

Madi Ball went 3-for-4 at the dish with an RBI and had one of the three doubles for a Wildcats squad that now has five extra-base hits between their two games in Chickasha. Fellow freshman Ashlee Jackman connected on a two-run double in the second gave BU a quick 2-0 lead.

The Wildcats opened up the top of the second with consecutive singles from Ball and Riley Phillips before a fielder's choice left the bases loaded for Jackman. The freshman from Olathe, Kan. blasted a full-count pitch over the centerfielder's head to drive in the game's first two runs.

BU tacked on another run in its next trip to the plate with a leadoff walk from Reese Curry setting the table in the third. With Curry moving over to second on a sac bunt, Ball laced an RBI single through the left side that ricocheted off the glove of the USAO shortstop and allowed Curry to sprint home and make it a 3-0 advantage for the Wildcats.

The heartbreaking fifth all started after an initial runner's interference was overturned and allowed the inning to continue where the Drovers eventually loaded the bases for their slugger Sierra Selfridge, who hit a grand slam to completely shift the momentum over to the hosts' dugout.

Later in the fifth, USAO added to its two-out rally and plated another run on an RBI double to cap its five-run inning and take a 5-3 lead.

Trailing for the first time of the NAIA postseason, the Wildcats could only muster up a one-out single from Rilee Bell in the sixth as the Drovers finished off their come-from-behind win with a 1-2-3 seventh inning.

The lefty Baker finished the day with nine strikeouts to put her over 200 for the season (203) and was tagged for just one of the runs after an error in the fifth. Yesterday, she eclipsed 500 career strikeouts with 11 Ks against the Falcons.

With weather moving up Wednesday's game times, the Wildcats will face No. 3 LSU Alexandria in game five of the Opening Round, tomorrow (May 15) at 1:30 p.m. in Chickasha. The Generals defeated Friends, 1-0 in the final game on Tuesday after falling to No. 2 Midland on Monday.

For more information, check out the Tournament Central page here.

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