Wildcats Close Out Regular Season with Top-10 Win, Road Split at (RV) Benedictine

BALDWIN CITY/ATCHISON, Kan. - Baker softball picked up a win over a top-10 nationally ranked team in No. 10 Central Methodist and split both days of its weekend series against the Eagles and (RV) Benedictine in the final games of the 2025 regular season.

With the matchup being featured as the final NAIA SB/Heart Series of the Week, the Wildcats earned a 6-0 shutout over the Eagles in game one on Friday before falling in game two, 7-0 in the last home games for BU this season. On Saturday in Atchison, Kan., Baker once again comfortably took game one of the series (8-1), but couldn't complete the sweep with a 2-1 setback to close out regular-season action.

BU 6, CMU 0
The Wildcats opened up Friday's doubleheader by putting up six runs and blanking the Eagles in a 6-0 victory to hand CMU just its third loss of conference play.

Kira Baker shined in a battle between two of the top pitchers in Heart, besting CMU's ace Haley Cotter with six strikeouts and just three hits allowed for her eighth shutout of the season.

An RBI single from Taryn Hull kicked off a big four-run second for BU with Sydney Erlandson following with an RBI groundout and then a big two-run single from Rachel Pederson to spot Baker a 4-0 lead.

With the lefty Baker cruising in the circle, the Wildcats tacked on two more runs in the fifth with back-to-back RBI groundouts from Riley Phillips and Ashlee Jackman as BU earned its first win over a top-25 opponent this year.

CMU 7, BU 0
The Eagles flipped the script in game two on Friday, keeping BU off the scoreboard and capitalizing on a big inning to force a series split.

After tallying eight hits in the first game, Baker was held to just one hit in the nightcap with a pinch-hit single from Meghan Kelly going as the strike against CMU's game-two starter Veronica Dearth.

Central Methodist scored a run in the second and in the third before busting the game open with a five-run top of the fourth. Breana Barchak came on in relief in the fourth and settled down the hot-hitting Eagles, pitching the final 3.2 innings and allowing only one run with a couple of strikeouts.

BU 8, BC 1
In Atchison, the Wildcats had a big inning fuel their game-one win for the second straight day, rolling past the Ravens, 8-1 in the opener.

K. Baker followed up her incredible shutout performance against CMU by allowing only one run in seven innings and tallying nine strikeouts for her 12th win of the spring.

Savannah Bray smacked back-to-back RBI doubles in her first two plate appearances with her latter one sparking BU's five-run third inning. Hull, Phillips, Ava Greiner and Braxton Stainbrook each drove in a run in the third as well.

Phillips and Reese Curry each capitalized on Ravens miscues to pad the lead in the fourth with Phillips scoring on a throwing error on a stolen base attempt, while Curry sprinted home on a wild pitch to cap the scoring.

BC 2, BU 1
The Wildcats couldn't match their offensive production from game one and fell in a low-scoring nightcap, 2-1 in their final game of the regular season.

Benedictine scored a run in the first and third innings to take a 2-0 lead, while BU was held in check for most of the game by Ravens starting pitcher Bailey Selvage.

Barchak and Brooke Vicory kept the Wildcats close with solid outings out of the circle. Barchak drew the start and got through the first couple of innings before turning it over to Vicory in the third, who pitched 3.2 innings of scoreless relief.

A one-out double by Greiner led to BU's lone run of the game in the top of the fourth with Jackman driving her in on a single to pull the 'Cats within one. Baker was only able to get two baserunners the rest of the way and came out with a series split for the second straight day.

Finishing with a 17-7 record in Heart play, Baker will turn its attention to the 2025 Heart of America Conference Softball Tournament with games starting on Thursday, May 1 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

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