(Photo Courtesy of Baylor Athletics)
THE RUNDOWN
PALM SPRINGS, Calif. – Baylor beat its third consecutive ranked opponent by taking down Stanford (13-1) Friday afternoon, 7-1 to hand the Cardinal its first loss of the season. However, the No. 15-ranked Lady Bears (10-3) fell to Cal State Fullerton (10-3), 6-1 in the second game in the second day of the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic.
Whitney Canion improved to 5-2 on the season with her fifth consecutive complete game in BU’s win over Stanford, limiting the opponent to just four hits and halting the Cardinal’s 13-game win stream to start the season. Canion gave up one unearned run, walked just one and struck out eight in the win. Kaitlyn Thumann and Clare Hosack each hit their second home runs of the season to highlight BU’s 11-hit performance.
In the nightcap, Jasmine Antunez limited Baylor to only two hits, and picked up the complete-game win for CSF in the circle. The Titans’ offense had just five hits, but three were home runs including a 3-run shot by Samantha Galarza to put the nail in the coffin for Baylor in the seventh inning.
BU’s Heather Stearns (5-1) was handed her first loss of the season, and Hosack’s baseas loaded walk in the bottom of the first produced the only run of the game for the Lady Bears.
HIGHLIGHTS
Whitney Canion completed her fifth-straight game; Canion has struck out 50 hitters, and given up just three earned runs in her last 53.0 inning pitched.
Canion’s win was the 97th of her career, and it was the 96th complete game of her career.
Heather Stearns’ win streak from the pticher’s circle was snapped at five, as she picked up her first loss in the circle vs. CSF Friday night.
Kaitlyn Thumann has reached base in all 13 games to start the season.
Thumann’s solo home run vs. Stanford was the second of the season for the juinior leadoff hitter, and the seventh of her career.
Clare Hosack’s solo home run vs. Stanford was the 14th of her career leaving her one shy of cracking into BU’s top 10 list for career home runs.
STAT OF THE GAME I
90 – Number of pitches Whitney Canion needed to pick up complete game win over Stanford; in her previous three starts, her lowest pitch total was 109.
STAT OF THE GAME I
4 – Baylor’s errors in the field vs. Cal State Fullerton, which was a season high.
WHAT’S NEXT
Baylor takes on California (5-5) at 3 p.m. PT Saturday in day three of the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic.
