The softball team managed to split a pair of doubleheaders over the weekend as the team began conference play. Following spring break play in Florida, the Billikens traveled to Philadephia to take on Temple and St. Joseph’s. In both series, the Bills dropped the first half of the doubleheader before rebounding in the second game to earn a split. With the first group of Atlantic 10 series under their belt, the Bills advanced to 9-14 and 2-2 in the Atlantic 10.
Friday the Bills battled with the Owls of Temple. The squad looked rusty in the first game, managing only two hits and losing by a score of 3-0. Junior Jill Pursell and sophomore Lorena Floccari accounted for both hits as the Bills were overwhelmed by the pitching of Temple ace Katie Burdeaux. Burdeaux managed to strike out four and walk three.
Floccari lasted only two innings on the mound until fellow sophomore Ashley Levan came on in relief. Levan pitched well in just over four innings of work. She struck out eight batters, scattering only three hits. After a rough start, the Bills managed to finish strong, allowing only one additional run during Levan’s time on the mound. Given the success they had with Levan on the mound in the first game, the Bills did only the obvious and kept the ball in her hand for the second game of the twin bill.
Levan continued to pick up where she left off, pitching a complete game en route to her sixth win of the season. She scattered nine hits but managed five strikeouts, while allowing just four runs. Levan was joined in the spotlight by sophomore Kara Sell, who set career highs with two home runs and four runs batted in. Despite having only five hits, the Bills took advantage of their opportunities, scoring five runs. The Bills trailed early, before Sell’s first home run of the day tied the game at 1-1 in the third inning. Sell continued to be a headache for Owl pitching as she launched a three-run shot over the wall in the fourth inning to stretch the lead to 4-1.
Temple scrounged two runs in the bottom half of the fourth inning to pull within one run of the Bills. SLU managed to put the game out of reach in the top of the seventh by tacking on an additional run, making the score 5-3.
A single by senior Ashleigh Williams plated Pursell from second base and put the game just out of reach for the Owls. Temple managed one run off Levan in the final frame to pull the score to 5-4, but Levan remained cool under pressure, preserving the win for the Bills. The game marked the first victory for the team in the Atlantic 10 Conference.
The Bills have struggled with consistency so far this year, and some players feel that their record does not indicate the talent that this team has. “We’re working on becoming more consistent. We’ve lost some close games but have been playing well, especially defensively,” Floccari said.
Following an off day on Saturday, the Bills returned to action on Sunday to take on St. Joseph’s. The squad got off to a slow start in game one of the twin bill, mustering just four hits against Hawk pitcher Lauren Cognigni. Following a promising start to the game, the Bills were plagued by offensive futility for the rest of the contest. After Pursell led off the game by reaching second on an error by the St. Joseph’s third baseman, junior Christy Ernst brought her home with a single to center field. The Hawks used stifling defense and dominant pitching to hold the Bills scoreless for the remainder of the game. St. Joseph’s managed three runs off Levan, taking a 3-1 victory to open the set.
The Billikens dusted off the bats for the second part of the set, overpowering the Hawks and earning a 5-3 victory. The squad exploded for five runs on 11 hits. Seven players recorded at least one hit while Floccari, senior Logan Justice and senior Ashley Heady recorded multiple hit games. Williams knocked in three runs for the Bills, and Floccari was right behind her, recording two runs batted in. Floccari was equally dominant on the mound as she scattered six hits and three runs over seven innings.
After managing only one run in the first four innings, a solo home run by Floccari, the squad exploded in the fifth inning by plating four runs. With runners on first and third, Williams blasted a home run to put the Bills in the lead, at 4-3.
Floccari scorched a double into the gap, plating Justice, who had singled moments earlier. Floccari returned to the mound, where she suffocated the St. Joe’s batters, allowing only one hit in the final three innings en route to a 5-3 SLU victory.
The Bills managed a solid performance as they made their Atlantic 10 debut. “We are trying to be as prepared as possible for every game and come out strong,” Floccari said.? “We feel that we can really compete in this conference and make our presence felt.”
With their first set of Atlantic 10 games under their belt, the Bills hold a 9-14 overall record, while they are 2-2 in Atlantic 10 play. The squad returns home this weekend to face George Washington in a doubleheader, scheduled for Saturday afternoon at the Billiken Sports Center.
