The Saint Louis University softball team’s bats went cold last night as the team suffered 7-1 and 5-0 defeats at the hands of Southern Illinois at Carbondale.

“We were really sluggish,” sophomore Caitlin Trevillyan said.

Both teams started slow with neither team scoring until the fourth inning. SIU led off the inning with a double, and two batters later drove in the first run of the game.

SIU added to their lead in the fifth inning with a three-run home run, and then added three more runs in the seventh.

SLU drove in a consolation run in the bottom of the seventh to avoid the shutout, but the Billikens were unable to muster more than the one run.

The second game of the doubleheader again featured a Billiken offense that was unable to score.

The Billikens began the game by loading the bases; however, they were unable to capitalize on the opportunity.

SIU started the second inning with an inside the park home run and scored three more runs in the inning to take a four run lead.

The Billikens loaded the bases in the second inning and again were unable to take advantage of the situation.

SIU added a final run in the sixth inning for a 5-0 shutout win. The Billikens left a total of eight runners on base in the second game, leaving the team ruing their missed chances.

“We just weren’t focused correctly,” senior Rachel Heet said.

While the team is disappointed after the two losses, they have only one day to recover before they host Fordham this Friday and Saturday and La Salle on Sunday.

“They’re very winnable games, and we tend to play better in conference,” Trevillyan said.

The games this weekend are very important as the Billikens are currently tied for second in the Atlantic-10 conference and need to finish strong in order to remain near the top of the rankings.

“We can keep the second seed. We just need to realize these games [this weekend] are very important. If we win this weekend, we’ll be in a good position,” Heet said.