BATON ROUGE, La. – No. 13/14 Baylor softball (19-4) rolled through North Dakota State (17-8), taking a 4-0 win to open play in the LSU Round Robin on Friday morning at Tiger Park.
Gia Rodoni (12-3) carried a perfect game through 5.2 frames, retiring the first 17 Bison batters in order before allowing a blip single into no-man’s land down the right field line with two outs in the sixth.
Rodoni would finish allowing the lone hit, no runs, and striking out 11 over 6.0 innings.
Regan Green closed out the final frame, allowing the second of just two hits in the ballgame for NDSU.
For the Baylor offense, a two-run opening frame set an early tone, giving Rodoni plenty of room to work.
Nicky Dawson led off with a full-count walk, with Jessie Scroggins reaching safely on a bunt single. The throw down to first ended up in right field, allowing both Scroggins and Dawson to advance into scoring position.
A two-RBI single for Shelby Friudenberg plated both Scroggins and Dawson, giving BU the 2-0 advantage after one.
Adding on in the home half of the fourth, Carlee Wallace led off with an infield single, with Madi O’Neal subbing in to run for her on first.
A double cutting down the left field line by Kyla Walker moved both runners in scoring position, setting up for another two-RBI cut, this time by Taylor Ellis, pushing the BU lead to 4-0.
Leaning on Rodoni and Green to close the game out, the Lady Bears cruised to a weekend-opening victory.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Gia Rodoni stayed perfect through 5.2 frames, allowing her first hit and baserunner of the game with two outs in the sixth frame.
- Baylor logged back-to-back shutouts for the first time since 2017 (May 13, 7-0, vs. Texas; May 19, 1-0, vs. Kent State).
- Rodoni’s 11 strikeouts marks her fifth game this season with double-digit strikeouts, taking her career total up to six.
- After spinning 10 strikeouts vs. North Texas on Wednesday, March 20, Rodoni has posted double-digit strikeouts in consecutive games for the second time this season (3/9, vs. Ohio, and 3/10, at Liberty).
- Jessie Scroggins (2-for-3) collected the 69th multi-hit game of her career, tying Naomi Fitzgerald (1998-2001) for the program record.
- Scroggins (231 career hits) jumped to No. 4 on BU’s career hits list, passing both Kathy Shelton (230, 2010-2013) and Kayce Walker (230, 2009-2012).
- Shelby Friudenberg (2-for-3) had her ninth multi-hit game of the season and the 58th of her career.
- Friudenberg (2 RBI) had her sixth multi-RBI game of the season and the 52nd in her collegiate career. She now trails Linsey Hays (173, 2012-2016) by three for the No. 2 spot on Baylor’s career RBI list, now totaling 170 in her career.
- Carlee Wallace (2-for-3) had sixth multi-hit game this season, taking her career total up to 40.
- Taylor Ellis (2 RBI) had her fifth multi-RBI game of the season, bumping her career total up to 8.
- Baylor improves to 4-0 all-time vs. North Dakota State, including a 3-0 edge in neutral site matchups.
WHAT’S NEXT
Baylor goes for another early start on Saturday, March 24, facing BYU at 10 a.m. and No. 11/12 LSU at 12:30 p.m. on day two for the Lady Bears at the LSU Round Robin at Tiger Park in Baton Rouge, La.
