Long Ball Leads Red Raiders in Win Over Baylor

Friday, May 14

Oklahoma City, OK

11:00 AM

Texas Tech Athletics

20-25

Baylor

27-19

Texas Tech

Baylor

Long Ball Leads Red Raiders in Win Over Baylor

May 14, 2021 | Softball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

Texas Tech defeated No. 4 seed Baylor in game one of pool play Friday morning.

By: Katie Moseley

OKLAHOMA CITY – The Red Raider bats were alive in the opening game of the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship as No. 6 seed Texas Tech (20-25, 3-15 Big 12) topped No. 4 seed Baylor (27-19, 8-9 Big 12) in pool A play Friday morning in Oklahoma City.

Home runs from Peyton Blythe and Ellie Bailey helped Tech secure the 8-6 win as the Red Raiders tallied 10 hits off Baylor starter Gia Rodoni.

Baylor got on the board first with a solo shot to right field from All-Big 12 Second Teamer Emily Hott.

The Red Raiders responded big in the top of the third, plating four runs off three hits. Yvonne Whaley reached base on a leadoff single, moved to second on a groundout from Karli Hamilton and stole third to put the tying run 60 feet away. Bailey then walked to put runners on the corners for Arriana Villa who hit a bloop single over the head of the short stop to score Whaley. Blythe followed the single with a two out, three-run home run to right center to give Tech a 4-1 lead.

The Bears cut the lead in half with an RBI single up the middle from Taylor Ellis in the bottom half of the inning.

After three silent innings, Tech added some much-needed insurance in the top of the seventh. Riley Love hit a hard single to shortstop to lead off the inning and was moved to third on Abbie Orrick's second double of the game. A two-RBI single from Hamilton put Tech up 6-2, with one out in the inning. Bailey then sent a ball over the left center wall for a two-run home run to give the Red Raiders an 8-2 advantage headed into the bottom of the seventh.

The Bears would not go quietly, scoring four runs of their own in the bottom of the seventh to cut the lead to 8-6, but Erin Edmoundson entered the game for the Red Raiders and struck out the final two batters to seal the victory.

Missy Zoch (11-12) picked up the win in the circle, pitching 6.1 innings giving up six runs on eight hits while striking out seven batters. Edmoundson earned the save, tossing the final two outs of the game, both strikeouts.

Bailey went 2-for-3 from the plate with a single, a home run and a walk. Whaley and Orrick were 2-for-4 at the dish for the Red Raiders.

Up Next
Tech will face Oklahoma at 7:30 p.m. Friday night with a trip to the Championship game on the line for the Red Raiders. The game will be played on OGE Energy Field and broadcast live on Big 12 Now on ESPN+ with Alex Leob and Megan Willis on the call.