No. 11 Baker Wins Three Straight at Friends Invitational

WICHITA, Kan. - Pushing its winning streak out to nine games, the No. 11 Baker softball team won its first three games of the Friends Invitational before falling to top-10 team Midland in the tournament finale this past weekend in Wichita, Kan.

The Wildcats defeated Sterling (17-9), Southwestern Christian (6-3) and Hastings (8-7) with an exciting comeback against the Broncos that included a pair of sixth-inning home runs to give BU its ninth straight victory.

Rilee Bell turned in a solid outing in Wichita, homering in three straight games, including a grand slam in the opener, and bagging nine RBI for the weekend. Following her performance from this weekend, Bell was named Heart Softball Player of the Week on Monday.

BU 17, SC 9
The Wildcats tallied a run in every inning and exploded for a seven-run seventh to earn a 17-9 blowout victory over Sterling in their first game of the tournament.

Rylee Seymour belted a three-run home run in the top of the second and Savannah Bray added a solo shot in the sixth before Bell delivered Baker's first grand slam of the year in the top of the seventh.

Riley Phillips went 4-for-5 at the plate with a double and three RBI, while Sydney Erlandson reached base three times with her first multi-hit game of the season.

BU 6, SCU 3
Baker put together a trio of two-run innings to dispatch the Eagles in game two of the day with Tess Eubank pitching three innings of scoreless relief to preserve BU's 6-3 win.

An RBI single from Bray and a sac fly from Ashlee Jackman gave the Wildcats a 2-0 lead in the first frame and BU added a couple more in the third to go up, 4-1. After the Eagles got within one, Bell's two-run home run provided enough cushion for Eubanks, who entered in the top of the fifth and retired all nine batters she faced.

Bray, Phillips and Bailey Shuman all had multi-hit games for BU with Bray earning her 10th extra-base hit of the season on a one-out double in the fourth inning.

BU 8, HC 7
For the first time of the tournament, the Wildcats found themselves trailing with the Broncos taking an early 3-0 lead and then going up by one in the fifth before BU completed its comeback in an exciting bottom of the sixth.

The Wildcats hit four home runs in the game with a three-run blast by Phillips putting BU on top 4-3 in the bottom of the third before Sydney Kill followed with a solo dinger in the fourth.

Trailing by one, Mary Grace Hess led off the sixth with a game-tying home run and Bell delivered the game-winner to steal the come-from-behind win for BU.

MU 2, BU 0
In a battle between two top-11 teams, No. 10 Midland outlasted the Wildcats in a pitcher's duel that featured just five total hits in the contest.

BU ace Kira Baker pitched five straight scoreless innings and had a one-hitter going until a two-run bottom of the sixth by the Warriors spoiled her outing. She finished with seven strikeouts and was tagged for only one of the runs.

The Warriors used an RBI double to break the scoreless deadlock in the bottom of the sixth and had another run come across on an error later in the inning.

With wins in 9 for their last 10 games, the Wildcats will take a trip to Myrtle Beach, S.C. to take part in the Fastpitch Dreams Spring Classic on March 5-8. Baker opens up the tournament with a game against Penn State Schuylkill on Tuesday, March 5 at 8 a.m.

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