Baylor struck first, leading off the bottom of the third with a double down the left field line before a sacrifice bunt and single up the middle. After a walk that put two Bears on, BYU picked up a fly out and groundout on two pitches to keep the BU lead at one.
The Cougars went down in order in the first four innings before putting two in scoring position in the fifth on a single, fielder’s choice and two-error defensive play, but they’d remain stranded on an inning-ending line out.
BYU plated its first runs and took its first lead of the series in the top of sixth. Jaelynn Lambert was hit by a pitch before her runner, Miranda Mansfield, moved to third on Lily Owens’ double down the right field line.
After a Hailey Morrow fielder’s choice, Ilove’a Brittingham was intentionally walked to load the bases. On first pitches, Lindy Milkowski singled into right and Keila Kamoku earned a sacrifice fly, scoring both Owens and Morrow for a 2-1 lead.
Baylor answered right back in the bottom of the sixth, singling on a bunt and moving to third on a Cougar throwing error before a two-run homer to right field, retaking the lead at 3-2.
Maddie Udall-Woolley and Bre Townsend led off the seventh with a single and double to left center, with BYU loading the bases on a Mansfield walk. The Cougars tied and retook the lead in a span of three pitches with Morrow being hit by a pitch prior to a sacrifice fly from Brittingham, making it 4-3, BYU.
The Bears quickly got a runner to third on a double and fly out, but Kaysen Korth, who re-entered the contest after the double, induced a groundout to seal the victory and even the series at one game apiece.
On Deck
The rubber match between the Cougars and Bears will be on on Saturday, April 26 at noon CDT on ESPN+.
