The softball team continued its battle with inconsistency as the squad dropped three of its four games at the Missouri State Classic. After dropping two games during the week to Eastern Illinois, the squad had high hopes of bouncing back with a trip to Springfield, Mo. The Billikens, plagued all season by a struggling offense, failed to capitalize on numerous opportunities with runners in scoring position dropping to 1-5 on the season.
Saturday saw the Bills battle with Southeast Missouri State University and University of Missouri-Kansas City. Lorena Floccari struggled on the mound against SEMO, giving up seven runs in just two innings. After three innings, the Bills trailed 7-1, with the lone run coming from Ashlee Heady’s first-inning home run. The Billikens rallied in the fourth as they plated three runs. Heady, who has been on a tear since the beginning of the season, led off the inning by lacing a double. Logan Justice followed by squeaking out a fielder’s choice that advanced Heady to third base. A double steal plated Heady and advanced Justice. Finally, Kara Sell, the team’s top hitter, plated two runs with her double.
After SLU trimmed the SEMO lead to three, the Redhawks answered with one more run in the bottom of the fourth. The Billikens failed to capitalize on several opportunities with runners in scoring position, en route to an 8-4 loss. Floccari took the loss after allowing seven runs in only two innings.
The squad responded to its loss to SEMO by notching its first victory of the year, thumping UMKC by a score of 8-2. Sophomore hurler Ashley Levan was in fine form, while Heady enjoyed one of her finest games as a Billiken. After allowing a run in the bottom of the first,the Billikens answered in the top of the second when Sell followed a Levan single by crushing one over the leftfield fence.
Several UMKC miscues helped the Billikens explode for five runs in the fourth inning. Levan singled, and Allison Appenfeller reached on an error by the right fielder. Jess Burns and Sell added singles of their own to load the bases for Jill Pursell. Another UMKC error plated two more runs and stretched the Billiken lead to 4-1.
Heady knocked in two more runs with a bases-loaded single. The Billiken rally ended when Heady drew attention in a rundown, which allowed Christy Ernst to steal home. Sell knocked an additional run in the fifth inning to put the game out of reach. Levan was dominant, allowing only four hits, striking out eight and walking just four. Following the split on Saturday afternoon, the team was confident that it would go into Sunday with a lot of momentum.
“We really felt we could compete with everyone in the tournament. We were confident that if we played our best game, we could compete with both Missouri and Missouri State,” said sophomore Jody Herbert.
The Bills returned to action on Sunday to face Missouri and Missouri State. The Billikens struggled mightily in their early game against Missouri, losing 10-2. The Tigers jumped out to an early lead and never looked back, as SLU struggled with mental lapses in the field and with the bat. Justice’s two runs batted in accounted for the squad’s offensive output. The game was halted by the NCAA’s eight-run rule.
The squad bounced back in the latter game with an encouraging performance against Missouri State. Levan was dominant once again, scattering four hits in just over five innings and allowing only two runs. The Bears drew first blood by plating one run in the first inning. The Billikens fought back and took the lead on a two-run blast over the right-field fence by Sell. After the Bears plated another run, both pitchers upped their games and sent the contest to extra innings.
The Billikens took control in the top half of the 10th. A Pursell single plated Floccari, giving the squad a 3-2 advantage. Floccari took the mound in the bottom of the 10th, with hopes of closing out the ballgame. After loading the bases, Ashleigh Williams snared a Missouri State line drive and doubled up the runner at first. With runners at second and third with two outs, Missouri State’s Shannon Buslepp delivered a clutch single that plated both of her teammates giving the Bears a 4-3 victory.
They return to action on Friday as they head to Birmingham, Ala., for Samford’s Bulldog Bash. The tournament kicks off a busy spring break for the team-they will play 12 games in just six days.
