The Saint Louis University softball team was only able to pull
off one win in the three-game series against Charlotte.
The first two games last Friday left the Bills short of their
first conference USA win, with the scores 5-2, and 9-2. However,
The Bills came back on Saturday to win 1-0 for their first
conference win of the season.
“We came out in the third game with a different outlook: we had
great pitching, which helped, and we had better plate approaches in
the seventh,” said Ashlee Heady.
In the first game on Friday, the Bills started off with an early
lead, 1-0. SLU was able to score off of two walks and some stolen
bases, when the throw at third went wide.
Charlotte managed to rally in the third, when Jessica Moore
singled, and Becky Matthews reached base with a fielder’s choice.
The 49er’s Sam Moore then hit a three-run homer to put Charlotte up
3-1. The next batter for Charlotte hit another home run to add to
the 49ers widening lead.
SLU tried for a comeback in the sixth inning when Jenna Renner
singled, which allowed Adrienne May to score a run. SLU would not
be able to rally enough runs to win the first game of the double
header.
“A lot of times we would get in scoring position, but we left a
lot of people on base. We couldn’t come through with the hits when
we needed to. and we didn’t hit well,” Heady said.
In the second game of the series, SLU was not able to rally for
a win. The 49ers scored in the first inning and in the third scored
for the 2-0 lead. In the fourth Charlotte added to their lead in
the fourth, with an RBI and a two-run homerun, to increase the lead
5-0 for the 49ers.
SLU had trouble generating offense, not collecting a hit until
May singled in the fourth. She was thrown out when she tried to
stretch her single to a double.
“We were in some type of hitting funk that whole day. We weren’t
on top of our hitting game. It showed in both games,” Heady
said.
poured in two more runs, widening the lead to 8-0. The Bills
finally got on the board when Ashleigh Williams hit a solo home
run, the sixth one of the season for her, tying the SLU
single-season record.
The second run came for the Bills when Logan Justice singled
home Beth Schomaker, who tripled in the previous at-bat.
The Bills grabbed first conference win, with a 1-0 score. The
run came in the seventh when Kerri Higgins singled. Ashlee Heady
executed a sacrifice bunt to move Higgins over to second base.
AshLeigh Williams followed with a single and Higgins moved to
third. Charlotte intentionally walked Beth Schomaker to load the
bases. Freshman Christy Ernst was next up at bat and knocked a hit
into right field. Charlotte’s Kristi Killough caught the ball but
Higgins was able to slide past the catcher for the game-winning
run. “It was a good confidence boost, winning our first conference
game,” she said.
Yesterday, the Billikens were shut out in both games of a double
header by Southern Illinois, 8-0 and 4-0.
The Billikens improve to 16-29 overall, and 1-11 in conference
play.
