Baylor Softball Dominates No. 22 UCF with Explosive Offense
In a commanding display at the UCF Softball Complex, Baylor softball took down No. 22 UCF with a decisive 12-3 victory.
This win marks a significant milestone for head coach Glenn Moore, who notched his 1,100th career victory. It's Baylor's first triumph over a ranked opponent since their 2024 victory against No.
4 Florida in the Gainesville Regional.
Game Breakdown
Baylor wasted no time setting the tone. In the first inning, Amber Toven's single and Karynton Dawson's walk set the stage for Faith Piper, who delivered a two-run double to left-center, putting the Bears up 2-0.
The second inning saw Baylor's offense catch fire. After loading the bases through a walk, a hit-by-pitch, and another free pass, Gianna Gusman smashed a grand slam to deep center, extending the lead to 6-0.
The Bears kept their foot on the gas in the third inning. Leah Cran led off with a solo homer, followed by another double from Piper, who later scored thanks to a sacrifice bunt and an RBI groundout. Toven capped the inning with a bases-loaded walk, making it 9-0.
UCF managed to get on the board in the bottom of the third, scoring twice after a Baylor error, and added another run in the fifth, trimming the lead to 9-3.
Baylor responded in the sixth with Kaci West's RBI single down the right-field line, scoring Dawson. Two more runs crossed the plate in the seventh after a throwing error, sealing the 12-3 victory.
Key Highlights
- Baylor improved to 13-4 against UCF and evened their record in Orlando to 3-3.
- This win was Baylor's largest margin over a ranked team since a 17-3 victory against No.
14 Texas in 2022.
- The Bears' 12 runs were a season-high, marking their third double-digit scoring game this season.
- Glenn Moore's career win total now stands at 1,100, placing him among an elite group of active coaches with over 1,000 wins.
- Baylor is 14-2 when scoring first this season and 3-3 in their all-white uniforms.
- Gianna Gusman's grand slam was her first career homer, part of her second multi-hit game.
- Leah Cran hit her second homer of the season, the fifth of her career.
- Faith Piper tied her career high with two doubles and had a season-high three hits.
- Sadie Ross secured her fifth win of the season, matching her career high.
- Peyton Tanner continued her streak of not allowing an earned run for the third straight start.
Looking Ahead
The Bears and Knights will face off in the series-deciding game on Sunday morning at 10 a.m. CT, moved up due to rain in the forecast. Fans can catch all the action on ESPN+ and 101.3 COOL FM.