No. 7 Baker Sweeps MNU in Home Regular-Season Finale

BALDWIN CITY, Kan. – Clutch two-out hitting and a couple of great outings from pitchers Skylar Gorrell and Kira Baker led No. 7 Baker to sweep its two-game set with MidAmerica Nazarene in BU's final home series of the 2023 regular season here Friday afternoon in Baldwin City.

The Wildcats rallied late to score three runs and escape with a 3-1 come-from-behind win in game one before earning their 19th shutout of the season with a 1-0 victory in the second game to complete the conference sweep.

BU 3, MNU 1
After four straight scoreless innings to start the game, the Wildcats came through with a big two-out rally in the bottom of the fifth, followed by a Makayla Akin solo home run in the sixth to take the opener, 3-1.

With the Pioneers scoring a run in the top of the third, Baker found its footing in the bottom of the fifth when Hailey Hatfield and Parker Straight each reached by way of a free pass with two down in the inning. Then, Kerstyn Finch laced a ball to the gap in right center to score both runners and push the Wildcats ahead, 2-1 on her two-out double.

Going 2-for-2 against MNU starter Grace Berlage, Akin led off the bottom of the sixth with a towering home run – her second of the year – to tack on an insurance run for BU. The senior two-way player pulled a single through the left side in the bottom of the fourth before Berlage retired the next two to work her fourth consecutive clean frame.

MNU outhit Baker by a 7-5 margin and created scoring chances in the first and second inning before finally scratching a run across against Gorrell in the top of the third on a two-out single by Kelly Stoakes.

Kira Baker entered in relief for Gorrell in the sixth inning and struck out five batters to close out the game-one victory and earn the lefty's second save of the season.

BU 1, MNU 0
Drawing the start in game two, Baker pitched her second straight shutout, while allowing just one hit as an RBI single from Savannah Bray scored the lone run of BU's 1-0 win.

In the circle, Baker struck out 10 hitters of an MNU team that mustered just three baserunners in the game. The Wildcats lefty worked 1-2-3 innings in four frames while getting a big double play from her defense in the top of the seventh to negate a leadoff walk.

Bray and Sydney Goss each had two hits in the contest against Pioneers starter Hannah Etzel, who came out on the losing end of the pitcher's duel.

With Anicra reaching on a two-out walk and stealing second, Bray smacked a 3-1 pitch to right center that allowed Ancira to score from second and serve as the game-winning hit for the nightcap. The RBI knock was the 28th run driven in this year by Bray, who leads the team with 48 hits.

Goss led off both the third and fifth innings with base hits, eventually making it to third on the latter one as part of a bases-loaded situation for the Wildcats that Etzel was able to work out of with a couple of groundouts.

The Wildcats wrap up their regular season on the road with a trip to Springfield, Mo. to face Evangel in a doubleheader starting tomorrow, April 29 at 1 p.m.

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