With the season coming to a close, the Saint Louis University softball team fell in three games over the last week, but managed to earn an important in-conference victory. The victory snapped the Billikens’ five-game losing streak.
The Bills spread their four games over two road series, as they began the week on Saturday in Charlotte. The 49ers, however, refused to roll out the welcome mat for the visiting Bills. The home squad got off to a good start and put up a run in the bottom of the first. After Charlotte centerfielder Evan Miller reached on a Billiken fielding error, teammate Becky Matthews drove her home on a single up the middle. SLU pitcher Ashley Levan was able to get out of the early jam, stranding two 49ers on the base paths.
Charlotte also plated single runs in the second and third innings. In the bottom of the second, Levan gave up a solo home run to first baseman Kaycie Jones. The 49er run in the third, however, was unearned. Second baseman Sarah Malene reached on an error, then stole second. Matthews then ripped a double into left field to pick up her second RBI of the game. After blanking Charlotte in the forth, the Bills found their way onto the scoreboard in the top of the fifth. After the Bills loaded the bases with two walks, a hit-by-pitch and a fielder’s choice, SLU scored twice on their first hit of the inning. Left fielder Jill Pursell’s single scored the runs, and infielder Shana Richard’s single brought home two more. The Bills tacked on another run on a Charlotte fielding error.
The Billiken lead, however, did not last long. Charlotte responded in the home half of the inning with a third Matthews RBI, but it came when she was hit by a pitch. Shortstop Cee Brooks emptied the bases with a single to center, but the 49ers got some help from another Billiken error. Jones plated Brooks with a single before SLU could get out of the inning. Saint Louis managed only one more hit in the game, and therefore fell by a margin of 8-5.
Scoring margins of 8-5 seemed to be the order of the day, but the Bills managed to come out on top in the nightcap. The 49ers once again scored in the bottom of the first. Miller led off the inning with a double to left, and Malene drove her home with a single. Charlotte added another run in the third, as third baseman Jenny Rumbles singled and stole second, then came around to score on right fielder Kristi Killough’s single.
SLU answered in the top of the fourth after a successful double steal. The play put Nicki Jost on third, and she scored on a Charlotte fielding error. After blanking the 49ers in the home half, the floodgates opened for the Bills in the fifth. Pursell’s dinger also drove in Rachel O’Connell, who led off with a single. After Jost and Christy Ernst reached base, Annie Dillinger smacked a long ball of her own, bringing all three around to score.
The Bills mopped up the 49ers with single runs in the sixth and seventh innings, with Pursell picking up both of the RBIs.
Despite the come-from-behind win in Charlotte, SLU could not build momentum on their way to Evansville to face the Purple Aces. The Purple Aces broke through in the third inning, as they built on a Lissa Fehlman leadoff double. Fehlman opened the scoring when she came around to score on a Krista Price single.
Evansville added on ensurance runs in the fourth and sixth, before wrapping up the shutout of the Bills. In the fourth, Ashley Werner reached on a fielder’s choice, and then came across the plate on Cassey Kemna’s base hit. The Purple Aces added on their final run in the last of the sixth. After three consecutive singles loaded the bases with nobody out, Fehlman drove in Laura Rather on a sacrifice fly.
The Bills threatened in the top of the seventh, but Rachel Heet’s and Allison Appenfeller’s singles went for naught, as they were left stranded. O’Connell struck out looking to finish the game with the Aces on top by a score of 3-0.
The second game of the night saw the Bills’ scoreless inning streak stretch to 14, and saw the Aces begin to pour on the offense in the third. After Elisabeth Mooney started things off with a single, Brittany Herald slapped an RBI triple to right-center field. While the Bills got out of the third after allowing only one run, Mooney tacked on another run in the fifth with a solo home run.
Evansville’s offense finally broke loose in the sixth. Kristen Shirk led things off with a dinger, and then the Aces loaded the bases with a single and two walks. Mooney made the Bills pay for the free base runners by jacking her second dinger of the game. Mooney’s grand slam put the Aces ahead by a margin of 7-0.
The Bills managed two base runners in the seventh, but failed to bring either of them home before Evansville closed out the game. SLU will host Temple on Friday night and Saturday afternoon and will play a double-header against St. Joseph’s on Sunday. The Bills will also welcome Tennessee-Martin to St. Louis for a double-header on Tuesday to close out their stretch of six games in five days. All games will be played at the Billiken Sports Complex on campus.
