Baseball
The comeback was too late and too little for the Billikens on Tuesday, April 20, as they fell 9-6 to Missouri State University at The Billiken Sports Center.
The Billikens fell behind early, 8-0, but refused to throw in the towel. The team chipped away at the lead throughout the game, and even got within two runs after third baseman Jon Myers’ conference-leading 15th homerun in the bottom of the seventh inning.
However, the early MSU surge proved to be too much. The Bears forced SLU starter, Mike Schrader out of the game after only 1/3 of an inning. MSU also received a strong effort out of relief pitcher, Grant Gordon, who did not allow a hit in the Billikens’ final 2 and 2/3 innings.
The Billikens travel to Amherst, Mass., to take on UMass in a three-game set beginning on Friday, April 23.
Men’s Soccer
Freshman Alex Sweetin provided the offense in SLU’s 3-2 victory over Washington University- St. Louis on April 18 at Robert Hermann Stadium. The freshman scored two goals, including the game winner in the 70th minute in the win.
Mike Roach fed Sweetin the assist on his first goal, the first of the game, and Alex Johnston scored for SLU to make it 2-0. Wash. U. scored the next two goals before Sweetin sealed the deal with a free kick with roughly 20 minutes to go.
The victory brought the Billikens to 2-1-1 during the spring exhibition season that will conclude on April 24, as the Billikens visit Peoria, Ill., to take on Bradley University at Shea Stadium at 2 p.m.
Softball
The Billikens tied a school record with 17 hits in Tuesday, April 20’s 12-4 victory over the University of Loyola Chicago. That victory was the second game of a doubleheader against the Ramblers. The Billikens split the match up, losing 14-6 in the first game.
The first game saw both teams trade the lead several times before a three-run fourth inning and six-run fifth inning catapulted the Ramblers into an automatic victory via the run rule.
SLU grabbed the lead early in the nightcap and never relinquished it. Alyson Brand hit her first of two two-run homeruns in the top of the second to start it off for the Bills. The lead was extended to 5-0 when Brand launched her second two-run blast in he top of the fourth.
Hannah Huebbe would walk the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh before getting a strikeout and a line drive out to finish the game at 12-4.
Brand’s two homers tied the school record for homers in a single game and Rachel Faletto collected a school-record-tying four hits in the effort.
Tennis
As predicted by the Atlantic 10 league office, SLU’s men’s tennis team finished in fifth place at this year’s A-10 Conference Championship tournament. A 4-1 victory over St. Bonaventure in the consolation bracket on April 18 sealed the Billikens final place.
The Billikens entered the tournament as the No. 5 seed and first faced off against No. 12 Fordham. The Bills cruised through that opening round match up, 4-0, before losing a tough 4-3 decision to the No. 4 Temple Owls in the quarterfinals. The loss sent the Billikens to the consolation bracket to meet No. 8 Richmond.
The Billikens found themselves on the winning side of a 4-3 decision after the Richmond match-up. This victory led to the showdown against the Bonnies on Sunday.
The Bills captured the doubles point in three of the four tournament matches.
The women’s team enters the women’s A-10 Conference Championship tournament as the No. 7 seed. The No. 7 Bills will host the tournament this season at the Dwight Davis Tennis Center in Forest Park.
The action kicks off Friday, April 23, at 8 a.m. when the Billikens take on the No. 10 Dayton Flyers. A win against the Flyers will put the Billikens in a quarterfinal match against No. 2 Richmond, the defending champions.
Sunset Tennis Center in south St. Louis County and Kings Point Sports Club in Belleville, Ill., will serve as the indoor play sites in the case of inclement weather.
