Wildcats’ Historic Season Comes to an End in Columbus

COLUMBUS, Ga. - No. 9 Baker softball fell to No. 5 Georgia Gwinnett by a score of 6-2 in an elimination game in the 2023 NAIA World Series to bring the Wildcats' remarkable 2023 campaign to a close on Friday in Columbus, Ga.

The BU pitching staff of starter Kira Baker and reliever Skylar Gorrell combined to hold the Grizzlies to just one hit in the game, but Georgia Gwinnett capitalized on four errors from the Baker defense and drew seven walks at the plate to tag six runs against a Wildcats team that had only given up that many runs once all spring, snapping a 48-game stretch of allowing five runs or less.

The Wildcats tallied five hits against Grizzlies starter Kailyn Berry and had a baserunner on in five of the seven innings, but big plays from the Georgia Gwinnett defense wiped out a couple of Baker scoring chances and kept the Wildcats from gaining too much traction.

A leadoff single from Morgan Loggins led to the Wildcats opening the scoring in the top of the third as the BU backstop raced home on Bailey Shuman's bunt single that resulted in an errant throw to put Baker up, 1-0.

The Grizzlies took the lead in the bottom of the third after the four walks they earned in the frame turned into a 2-1 advantage.

In the bottom of the fourth, Georgia Gwinnett put up a four-run inning that stemmed from a couple of BU miscues as an RBI single was the only hit for the Grizzlies in their big inning.

The Wildcats looked to spark a two-out rally in the top of the sixth after Kerstyn Finch tagged a double and then came around to score on an RBI knock by Emma Ancira to cut Baker's deficit to four runs. Makayla Akin drew a walk to give the Wildcats runners at first and second, but Berry was able to work out of the jam and dash the late-game rally.

In the circle, the lefty Baker recorded five strikeouts in her 25th start of the season, while Gorrell came on in relief in the fourth.

The sixth-inning double brought Finch's 2023 final total to 20 extra-base hits with eight doubles, five triples and seven home runs for the junior from Raymore, Mo.

The Wildcats close out a 2023 season that saw them earn the program's first appearance in the NAIA World Series and clinch a share of the Heart of America Conference Regular Season Championship. They reached as high as No. 4 in the NAIA Top-25 Poll and defeated No. 6 College of Idaho in the Opening Round to punch their ticket to Columbus.

Finishing with a 47-12 record, Baker tied for the school record for most wins in a season, matching the same total as the 2019 team that went 47-9.

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