In the midst of a gloomy 1-10 conference start, the Saint Louis University softball team found a ray of optimism after defeating its non-conference rival, the Missouri Tigers, in the first game of a double header Tuesday night at the Billikens Sports Complex.
SLU, 13-17 on the season, split the twin bill with the Tigers winning the first game 5-4. The Billikens’, bats went to work early on Missouri’s pitching in the first game helping SLU with a win, something that has been hard to come by since conference play began.
“Playing a non-conference rival like Mizzou gave us a fresh contest,” sophomore pitcher Heather Hubert said. “It was a real confidence booster beating a time like Missouri. I think it will help us come in with some added intensity in our remaining conference games.”
SLU pounded in four first inning runs the old fashion way, hustle and capitalization. Sophomore Nicole Bohnenstiehl and junior Beth Yagge recorded early singles and helped the Billikens punch in two runs with only one out. Heather Hubert, Janet Venorsky and Jamie Hayden all pitched in with singles of their own pushing their first inning lead to 4-0.
“The lead really took a lot of the pressure off of us offensively and defensively. To be up like that against a good team, especially in the first inning, gave us the confidence we needed to know that we could beat (Mizzou),” Hubert said.
In the second inning, Adrie Bogaars continued her RBI rampage by singling in Bohnenstiehl. The five run lead would prove to be enough for the Billikens to defeat the Tigers for the first time since 1993. Hubert mowed down the majority of the Tiger batters she faced.
“I was more focused out there on the mound and our team was more determined than we have been all year. Playing in front of a home crowd really helped a lot,” Hubert said.
“Sometimes it is noticeable when we don’t come out playing our best. We were definitely on top of our game.”
You can bet the victory over their in-state rivals was a sweet feeling for the Bills.
“For sure, it felt great to beat Mizzou. The are a very tough team, but we played our best and things came together well for us at the right times,” Hubert said.
Missouri, 20-23, did not back down after their early-inning deficit. The Tigers put together a seventh inning rally off Heather Hubert.
After Daisy Mettlach’s triple and Morgan LeCluyse’s RBI single, the Billikens’, lead had tapered to just one run. Fortunately for the Bills, Hubert would not be denied of her eighth victory of the season. She struck out seven Missouri batters and helped lead Billikens back to their early-season winning ways.
“I was starting to get tired. The ball was getting up there in the strike zone,” Hubert said. “I just needed one more out. That was so frustrating. Fortunately, our defense was able to help me out of the inning.”
Despite her powerful performance on the mound, Hubert credits the team’s batting as the key to the victory. “Batting definitely was a major improvement for us,” she said. “In previous games we have only been able to gather a few hits in a game. Tuesday night we were really pumped. It helped us that we put all of our hits together at the right time and in the right place.”
In the second game, the Tigers, bats supplied the pop.
The Tigers, first two hits were home runs off Bohnenstiehl putting them ahead 3-0. Before the Billikens could re-gather their momentum from the first game, they found themselves in 5-0 deficit of their own.
After Bohnenstiehl, who struck out six batters in the evening, settled down in the sixth inning, the Billikens, bats showed a little life during their turn at the plate.
Back to back doubles by Venorsky and Hubert put the Bills on the board cutting the lead to three runs. However, the Billikens had little left and were unable to pressure the 5-2 Tiger lead.
The Billikens have not had much luck against conference foes this season, which was evident this past weekend in their three game series with the Pirates of East Carolina.
After jumping out to a 1-0 first inning lead in Sunday’s game, thanks to Bohnenstiehl’s fourth homer of the season, the Billikens, ran out of offensive juice. The Billikens failed to score with the bases loaded later that inning.
The Pirates squeaked in three runs throughout the game and held off all of SLU’s rallies. East Carolina pitcher Nicole Bacon pitched a gem.
Allowing only four hits, two of which came off the bat of Bohnenstiehl, Bacon silenced the Bills and improved her team’s record to 25-14 overall and 7-5 in Conference USA.
“We have been playing well, but we haven’t just been able to piece everything together. They were a good team, but we definitely could have beaten them. We know we are better than that,” Hubert said.
The Billikens’ offensive woes on Sunday were evident even in Saturday’s double-header against the Pirates. The Bills were only able to score one run in each of the day’s games, losing 4-1 and 5-1.
SLU will have a chance to improve on their dismal conference record against the DePaul Blue Demons in a double header on Saturday and a single game on Sunday in the Windy City.
“DePaul is really good. We found that out last time we played them. They are very good hitting team,” Hubert said. “Even though they are a nationally ranked team, we should be able to beat them this weekend. If we played like we did Tuesday, we have a chance to beat anybody.”
