No. 15 Baylor Softball Picks Up 5-2 Win AT UTA - kcentv.com - KCEN HD - Waco, Temple, and Killeen

ARLINGTON, Texas - The No. 15 Lady Bears (26-5) didn't get caught looking ahead or behind, picking up a 5-2 win over UT Arlington (15-12) at Allan Saxe Field Wednesday evening in Arlington.

Following a seven-day road trip to Hawaii and before opening a two-game series against Texas, BU picked up its second win over UTA this season. Four of the five Baylor runs came with two outs.

"I thought this was a great tune-up for Big 12 play," head coach Glenn Moore said. "We came up here and got tested by a team that made us really battle."

Kathy Shelton picked up a pair of hits, extending her hitting streak to 10 games. Additionally, the senior swiped three bases for the third time in her career to put her just one away from tying Harmony Schwethelm's program mark of 102. Linsey Hays also added a pair of hits, while Clare Hosack recorded one of two BU RBI's.

Heather Stearns (8-2) collected the win, coming on in relief, going 3.0 innings, allowing three hits, two runs, one walk and striking out four. Whitney Canion started the game and allowed just one hit, striking out five in 3.0 innings. Courtney Repka earned her second save, pitching a perfect seventh inning.

Shelton used her speed to wreak havoc on the UTA defense and score a run. After being hit by a pitch with one out, she stole second and followed with a swipe of third, forcing an errant throw to get into left for a 1-0 lead.

Baylor forced a UTA error that plated a pair of runs with two outs in the third. Thumann led off the inning getting hit by a pitch and Shelton reached followed by reaching first on an errant throw from the pitcher off a grounder back to the circle. A double-steal put the top of the order in scoring position, but Hays grounded into a fielder's choice and Thumann was out at home on the play. With two away, Robin Landrith popped up down the left field line, but the shortstop was unable to corral the catch and both runs scored for a 3-0 advantage.

Hosack added another Baylor run in the fifth on an RBI-double to left with two outs that scored Hays from first.

The Mavericks cut the lead in half with a pair of runs in the sixth. Stearns gave up a leadoff walk and sacrifice bunt for a runner in scoring position with one out. Megan Michelle followed with an RBI-double to left, and after a groundout, Rachel Forshaw singled up the middle to make it 4-2.

Thumann padded the lead in the seventh, belting a one-out homer to right center, her third of the year, making it 5-2.

Baylor will open Big 12 play by hosting No. 9 Texas (27-4) beginning at 2:00 p.m. on Sat., March 23 at Getterman Stadium. The first 500 fans that enter the stadium will receive free Baylor softball t-shirts.