When the opponent is the Missouri Tigers, finding a way to win, no matter what it takes, is the ultimate goal.
It may have taken nine innings Tuesday night in Columbia, Mo., but the Saint Louis University softball team achieved a victory over its black-and-gold clad nemesis.
The Billikens, 22-24 on the season, defeated the Tigers 6-5 in the first game of Tuesday’s double-header.
SLU fell 10-0 in the second game, but their earlier victory was the team’s second over the Tigers this season. That feat has never been accomplished in SLU softball
history.
“We were really happy winning that first game,” said junior left fielder Beth Puttcamp. “It was definitely a big win for us. We have beaten them twice this season, which is something that has never been done before here at SLU. That is a credit to our team and our persistence.”
Persistence was the name of the game for the Bills as they let an early lead slip away from their grasps. SLU quickly jumped out to a four-run lead, exiting MU starter Veronica Flournoy after she recorded only one out.
Erin Jeffery led off the game with a single and Kerri Higgins followed with a walk. Beth Yagge singled to load the bases. Jeffery was forced out at the plate on Nicole Bohnenstiehl’s fielder’s choice. RBI specialist Adrie Bogaars helped the Billikens by singling in two runs. Janet Venorsky chimed in with a single of her own, putting the Billikens on top 3-0.
After a Tiger pitching change, Bogaars capitalized on a Missouri error, stretching the lead to four. SLU made it 5-0 when Bohnenstiehl came to the plate a second time, doubling to score Jeffery.
Bohnenstiehl, who also served as the Billikens’ starting pitcher, ran into a jam in the third as Melanie Fisher and Morgan LeCluyse each homered. The two blasts cut the score to 5-3.
In the fourth, the Tigers tied the game thanks to two walks and three hits. But when the Tigers thought they had the lead, Puttcamp threw out Mary McGrane at home to end the inning and keep the score tied at five.
“We let the lead slip away from us. That was frustrating,” Puttcamp said. “Fortunately, I got a lot of balls out there in left field and I was able to make that throw to home plate. It turned out to be a pretty big play: Our defense held tight after the fourth.”
The tied ball game went into extra innings after scoreless seventh and eighth innings. The game spilled into the ninth inning. Then the Billikens landed the final blow.
In the top of the inning, Bohnenstiehl reached base on her ninth double of the season and was moved to third on Bogaars’ sacrifice bunt.
Bohnenstiehl then scored on a wild pitch. It was up to her to stop the Tigers during their turn at the plate.
She forced two pop-ups to end the game for the Billikens. She pitched the entire game and fanned six batters upping, her record to 11-14.
The second game was a different story for the Billikens. MU starter Ingrid Werner dominated SLU, striking out three and walking none. The Tigers scored their 10 runs in the first three innings. The Billikens had no answer to Missouri’s barrage.
“We didn’t get any breaks in the second game,” Puttcamp said. “We were definitely disappointed. A lot of close plays didn’t work out well for us. Blown opportunities got the better of us.”
The loss put the Billikens two games under .500, but the focus now is not on their record-their focus lies on Conference USA rival South Florida.
“We are really focusing on getting into the conference tournament. That is our goal right now,” Puttcamp said. “We aren’t worrying about our record, that doesn’t matter any more. What matters is that we focus on winning all three games at South Florida.”
The Bills will play South Florida in a doubleheader on Saturday in Tampa, Fl. They will close out their conference season with the series finale on Sunday at 11 a.m.
With a sweep of the Bulls, SLU has a good chance of making the conference tournament.
