Baker’s Perfect Game, Finch’s Walk-Off Highlight a Wildcats Sweep Over Mount Mercy

BALDWIN CITY, Kan. – Another perfect game from freshman pitcher Kira Baker and a Kerstyn Finch walk-off home run helped lead No. 4 Baker softball to sweep Mount Mercy on back-to-back shutouts in a Heart of America Conference matchup here Sunday at Cavaness Field.

BU starters Baker and Skylar Gorrell blanked the Mustangs with the duo compiling a combined 27 strikeouts in their 14 innings of action today. With 13 shutouts as a team, Baker and Gorrell have allowed only one run through six league games.

BU 1, MMU 0
Baker tallied her second perfect game of the season and fifth outing with at least 15 strikeouts as the Wildcats battled out a one-run victory against Mount Mercy starter Jayna Witzany.

The two pitchers traded punches all game long with BU scratching their decisive run in the third inning, courtesy of Parker Straight working her way around the bases and scoring on a crucial Mustangs error.

Straight reached on an infield single and then Baker's leading base stealer swiped the next two bases to stand on third with two outs before coming home on the miscue.

Baker fanned five of the first six batters she faced and struck out the side in the fourth and seventh. Looking for any type of contact versus BU's electric lefty, Mount Mercy tried to lay down a few bunts throughout the contest, but the Wildcats defense was always right there to corral its attempts.

BU 3, MMU 0
Finch played hero in the second game of the doubleheader with her walk-off blast in the bottom of the seventh shattering another back-and-forth from the starting pitchers.

Gorrell finished with a season-high 12 strikeouts for her second shutout of the season. She navigated her way through some tricky spots with huge strikeouts while relying on her defense to keep the Mustangs' five hits in the game from producing a run.

Meanwhile, the visitors turned to a strong performance from their starter, Kalli Minger who allowed just three BU hits through the first six frames.

It was pinch-hitter Emma Ancira who first ignited the spark of the dramatic seventh with a double that reached the fence in left center, while Straight kept the inning alive with a two-out walk before Finch's homer sealed Baker's 25th win of the season.

Bailey Shuman was 3-for-3 on stolen base attempts to go along with a leadoff single from the fourth inning.

The Wildcats are scheduled to host a top-25 matchup with No. 21 Central Methodist coming to Baldwin City for a two-game set on Friday, April 7 with first pitch at 1 p.m.

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