Baylor Falls in Extras to San Diego State Despite Late Rally
SAN DIEGO, Calif. - Baylor softball showed plenty of fight on Wednesday night, but their comeback effort came up just short in extra innings, falling 4-3 to San Diego State in an eight-inning battle at SDSU Softball Stadium.
This one had all the makings of an early-season thriller-momentum swings, clutch hits, and a game that wasn’t decided until the final swing.
Early Momentum, Midgame Trouble
The Bears struck first in the third inning, courtesy of a well-struck double to center from Faith Piper that brought Amber Toven home. Piper, who’s been on a tear to start the season, continued to do damage at the plate, extending both her hitting and on-base streaks to a career-best eight games. Her two doubles on the night matched a personal high, and she continues to be a tone-setter for the Baylor offense.
In the circle, Cambree Creager came out sharp, tying her career high with five strikeouts. She kept the Aztecs off balance early, but San Diego State flipped the script in the fourth inning with a three-run frame that gave them a 3-1 lead. It was a tough inning that saw the Bears lose their early edge, but they didn’t stay down for long.
Sixth-Inning Spark
Trailing by two, Baylor clawed its way back into the game in the sixth. Karynton Dawson got the rally going with a single, and Leah Cran followed with a clutch RBI double down the left-field line-her fifth straight game with a hit, tying a career high. Then, with the pressure mounting, Kaci West came off the bench and forced a throwing error that allowed Jayden King to score the tying run.
It was a gritty, opportunistic inning-the kind of frame that speaks to the resilience of Glenn Moore’s squad.
Extras and the Final Blow
Neither team could break through in the seventh, sending the game into extras. Baylor threatened in the top of the eighth, putting runners on the corners with two outs. But the inning ended in frustration when Kaygen Marshall was thrown out on a delayed steal attempt-a high-risk move that didn’t pay off.
In the bottom half of the frame, San Diego State made Baylor pay. A leadoff walk and a textbook sacrifice bunt set the table, and Tylie Kitchen came through with the walk-off single to left-center, sealing the Aztecs’ win.
Notable Performances
- Peyton Tanner was sharp in relief, retiring nine of the first 11 batters she faced before being tagged with her first career loss.
- Sa’Mya Jones added another hit, giving her back-to-back games with a knock as she starts to find her rhythm at the plate.
- Baylor’s extra-inning history under Coach Glenn Moore now sits at 48-40. This was their first game to go beyond seven innings since March 2025 against Oklahoma State.
What’s Next
Baylor won’t have much time to dwell on this one. They’re back in action Friday for a doubleheader at the Campbell/Cartier Classic.
First up is a matchup with Oregon State at 1:30 p.m. CT, followed by a rematch with San Diego State at approximately 6:30 p.m.
CT. Both games will be broadcast on COOL 101.3 FM.
It’s a quick turnaround, but this team has already shown they can bounce back. If the bats stay hot and the pitching continues to settle in, there’s plenty of reason to believe Baylor can flip the script in the rematch.