Phillips’ Walk-Off Blasts Fuels Wildcats to Pair of Doubleheader Sweeps in Conference-Opening Weekend

BALDWIN CITY, Kan. - With a walk-off home run from Riley Phillips setting the tone, Baker softball reeled off a four-game sweep of its conference-opening weekend by knocking off No. 16 Grand View twice on Friday before taking both games of its Saturday series against Culver-Stockton.

The Wildcats completed a thrilling comeback against the 16th-ranked Vikings in game one of the weekend with Phillips' walk-off giving them the first of back-to-back 3-1 victories. Baker went on to outscore C-SC, 14-2 in the doubleheader on Saturday to finish off a perfect 4-0 outing at Cavaness Field for BU.

BU 3, GVU 1 (8 inn.)
Phillips' game-winning blast gave the Wildcats their second straight walk-off home run after Rilee Bell smacked one last week against Cottey.

Despite the exciting finish, game one featured a pitcher's duel between BU ace Kira Baker and the Vikings' own returning all-conference pitcher Jessica Walljasper. Baker gave up five hits and struck out five, while pitching all eight innings for her eighth complete game victory of the season.

After five scoreless innings, the Vikings scored a run in the top of the sixth to take a 1-0 lead that they carried into the bottom of the seventh. In the seventh, Ashlee Jackman was able to get a game-tying single to fall after it just got over the glove of a leaping GVU second baseman to score Bell and send the Wildcats to their second straight extra-innings game.

In the bottom of the eighth, it was a two-out single from Madi Ball that allowed Phillips to come to the plate and the senior shortstop connected on a 2-1 pitch that battled with gusty wind conditions to clear the left-field fence at Cavaness, bringing the BU dugout out for another walk-off celebration.

BU 3, GVU 1
In game two, Breana Barchak delivered another solid outing for the BU pitching staff and the Wildcats used a three-run third to complete the sweep with a second straight 3-1 victory.

An RBI double by Bell opened up the scoring for the Wildcats in the third as Ball drove her in on a one-out single later in the frame. With the bases loaded, Hailey Ramirez came thru with a two-out RBI to make it a 3-0 cushion for Barchak and the Wildcats.

After coming in averaging six runs a game, the Vikings scored just their second run of the series with an extra-base hit in the top of the sixth to make it a two-run lead for BU. Barchak ended the game in the seventh with her sixth strikeout to earn her fourth win of the season.

BU 4, C-SC 1
BU scored all four of its runs in the first two innings of its series opener against Culver-Stockton on Saturday and Baker notched her second victory of the weekend in a 4-1 win.

Bailey Shuman opened the bottom of the first with a leadoff single and moved herself into scoring position before coming home to score on an RBI groundout from Mary Grace Hess that resulted in a collision at first base.

In the bottom of the second, Jackman knocked in Bell with an RBI single and Savannah Bray delivered a big two-run hit with two outs later in the inning to make it a 4-0 lead for BU.

Kira Baker cruised in her second start of the weekend, matching her season-high in strikeouts after getting 11 C-SC hitters to whiff. She started off the game with four straight strikeouts and had her only blemish come on back-to-back doubles in the top of the fifth that gave Culver-Stockton its lone run of the game.

BU 10, C-SC 1 (5 inn.)
Baker closed out the weekend with a 10-1 blowout in game two of the Saturday doubleheader with Bray and Hess each smacking a two-run home run in the run-rule win for BU.

After Culver took its first lead of the series in the top of the second, Baker responded with a three-run bottom of the second with Hess driving in the first of her three runs in the game.

A two-run triple by Phillips in the third all, but cleared the bases for Hess, who followed with her fourth homer of the season to make it 8-1. In the bottom of the fourth, Bray sent a two-run rocket over the fence to trigger the mercy rule and give the senior second baseman her team-leading seventh home run of 2024.

Game two starter Tess Eubank pitched all five innings, struck out three and earned her third win of the year.

Winners of 12 straight games, the Wildcats move to 19-5 overall on the season and open up conference play with a 4-0 first weekend, including a sweep of a top-25 team.

Baker will head out for its first road matchup against a Heart opponent this season with a showdown against No. 3 Central Methodist set for Friday, March 29 at 12 p.m. in Fayette, Mo.

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