The Saint Louis University softball team went 3-3 this week, sweeping St. Joseph’s, splitting matches with Charlotte and dropping both matches to Evansville.
In action against Charlotte, the Billikens plated five runs leading up to the fifth inning. Charlotte returned the favor in the bottom half of the inning, when 49er Cee Brooks drove a shot up the middle for a bases-loaded single. This resulted in three runs after the ball was overrun by Annie Dillinger.
Jones drove home Brooks to make it 8-5 Charlotte before SLU was able to escape from the inning. Freshman Nicki Jost led the Billikens with two hits, while freshman Shana Richard and senior Jill Pursell each drove in a pair of runs.
Like the first game, the 49ers struck first in the second game when Sarah Malene drove a run home with a single up the middle to give the 49ers an early 1-0 advantage.
Because of this, Stacy Gillette was pulled from the game and replaced by Lorena Floccari, who proceeded to get the Billikens out of the inning before any more runs were scored.
The Billikens threatened the 49ers for the first time in the top of the fourth inning. Sophomore Rachel Heet hit a line drive to first that was not handled by the first baseman, allowing Jost to score.
Despite multiple hits by the 49ers in the next couple innings, the Billikens continued their dominance. In the seventh inning, the Bills put Charlotte away when Pursell then hit a single up the middle to plate Dillinger and give the Bills an 8-5 lead.
No more than three days after the Charlotte match-up, the Billikens turned around to play a pair of non-conference matches against Evansville, both of which they lost.
In game one, the sixth inning was the most promising for the Billikens as they got back-to-back singles from Pursell and Richard. Jost then reached on an error to load the bases, but Dillinger struck out to strand all three base runners.
In the top of the seventh, now down 3-0, senior Allison Appenfeller and Heet led off with a pair of singles. But Evansville starter Ashley Hobbs retired the next three SLU batters to escape the inning with the shutout.
In the second game, things were close until Evansville broke out with five runs, three of which were home runs. Junior Rosie Gonzalez relieved Floccari at the beginning of the inning, but allowed a solo home run to the first batter she faced. Floccari re-entered the game to see another Evansville player shoot one of her pitches over the fence. Evansville defeated the Billikens with a final score of 7-0.
The Billikens managed 14 hits in the two-game set, but were unable to deliver as they stranded a combined 17 base runners in the two setbacks. The losses dropped SLU to 22-29 overall.
Coming off a 0-2 defeat from Evansville, the Billikens swept St. Joseph’s on April 29 with their effective pitching and timely hitting.
In game one,Appenfeller and senior Christy Ernst delivered a three-run eighth inning to vault the Billikens to a 6-5 victory. Billiken starter Ashley Levan pitched seven innings, allowing three earned runs on four hits. She struck out 15-the second highest total of her career-and walked just two.
In game two, Pursell’s two-run double backed a complete game by freshman pitcher Gillette, as the Bills clinched the sweep with a 3-1 victory. Appenfeller, Ernst, Pursell and Renner were honored before the game in a Senior Day ceremony. They combined for eight hits and six RBIs on the afternoon.
The Billikens return to action in a non-conference doubleheader against UT Martin and conclude the regular season next Saturday against A-10 foe George Washington.
