WACO, Texas --- Former Douglas Lady Bulldog Miriam Romero hit 2 for 3 and scored two runs while former Flowing Wells High School standout Ashley Monceaux went 3-for-3 with two home runs and five RBIs as the No. 7 Baylor softball team cruised to a 9-0, five-inning victory over No. 10 Michigan in action at the NCAA Waco Super Regional on Friday. With the victory, Baylor moves within one victory of the Women's College World Series as the Lady Bears improve to 49-13 on the season while Michigan falls to 46-12 with the loss.
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The Lady Bears jumped on the Wolverines early as Courtney Oberg delivered a two-out single in the bottom of the first that deflected off the third baseman and into left field to score Monceaux from third to give Baylor the early 1-0 lead.
After Michigan was unable to answer in the top of the second, Monceaux gave the Lady Bears a three-run cushion as she blasted a 1-1 pitch from Michigan starter Lorilyn Wilson over the left-center field wall to score Romero to make the score 3-0.
The Lady Bears then put the game away with three runs in the fourth and fifth innings as Baylor claimed an impressive, 9-0 win. Kirsten Shortridge got the scoring started as she delivered a two-run double to right-center, scoring Romero and Monceaux as the Lady Bears built a five-run advantage in the fourth. Lake followed with a RBI single of her own as Baylor held a comfortable, 6-0 lead heading into the fifth.
After Michigan was unable to scratch across a run in the inning, Monceaux made the Wolveries pay for a pair of errors in the bottom of the frame as she delivered a walk-off, three-run blast. With Tiffany Wesley at second and Alex Colyer at first, the senior first baseman laced a line-drive shot over the right-field wall for her second home run of the contest as Baylor claimed a 9-0, run-rule victory.
Monceaux had a historic night for the Lady Bears as she became Baylor's single-season home run and RBI leader as she now has 20 home runs and 70 RBI on the year. The senior also tied a school record with four runs scored while tying the school mark with two home runs in a game.
Baylor's impressive performance was backed up by an outstanding start by Ferguson, who tossed her 28th career shutout while improving to 24-7 on the season after allowing only two hits and using only 56 pitches over five innings to blank the Wolverines.
Wilson took the loss for Michigan and fell to 25-7 on the year after allowing three runs on five hits in two innings of work.
Baylor head coach Glenn Moore said afterwards "I think we had some jitters the first inning, but settled down quickly and went to work. I'm very proud of the performance of Lisa (Ferguson). She really stepped it up. I can't say enough about the offense. To do what we did tonight off of a great team like Michigan is an exceptional performance."
Michigan head coach Carol Hutchins said her team can't fix what happened Friday.
"We have to put it behind us," she said. "Day one does not have anything to do with day two. We definitely need to play more composed softball. Baylor is a very talented team and they were fantastic tonight."
Moore said he's really pleased with how his team is playing right now.
"I have never coached a team that is so mature," he said. "They really understand the game and what it takes. We've knocked on the door for several years now, and that's how you get experience as a team."
Baylor will look to clinch its first-ever berth into the Women's College World Series as the Lady Bears and Michigan meet in game two of the NCAA Waco Super Regional on Saturday, May 26, at 1:00 p.m. Should the Wolverines win game two, a deciding game three will take place at 3:30 p.m. or 30 minutes following the conclusion of game two.
Romero is a 2003 graduate of Douglas High School and the daughter of Arnold and Lorene Romero of Douglas. She grew up playing softball in the local DGASA league as well as for the Douglas Border Brats.
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