The Billiken softball team came up short in Washington D.C. over the weekend of April 11-12, falling 2-1 to George Washington (GW) despite a strong start. The Bills were 8-3 in the Atlantic 10 Conference, while the Colonials were 2-7 going into the weekend.
SLU came out in the first game reflecting that winning record and defeated GW 5-1. Junior Elizabeth Everingham started things off with a double in the first inning and put the Bills on the board after an error by the first baseman. But, the Colonials answered with a double of their own and scored a run from a SLU error by the shortstop.
The Billikens brought back the fire in the third with a single from Senior Lindsay Friedman and double from Freshman Allie Macfarlane to widen the gap 3-1.
The women kept the ball rolling in the fifth inning with a lone home run from junior pitcher Brianna Lore, who’s currently batting .314 this season. Hits by sophomore Emma Buckles, freshman Josie Knesel and sophomore Alex Nickel brought in another run in the sixth, putting the Bills ahead 5-1, the eventual final margin.
The Colonials were unable to respond to a relentless Billiken defense after a lucky run in the first inning. Lore led the field by allowing no earned runs and only one collective error from the Billikens.
The second game let in a change of momentum. GW sought revenge, and shut the women down in a 10-1 trouncing in five innings.
The first inning was all the Colonials needed to leave the Bills in the dust. The offense scored five runs within the first chances at bat. With no errors and no home runs, it was a long inning for the Bills.
GW didn’t let up in the second inning, raising the bar to a 7-0 lead with two triples and a single. Everingham finally answered with the Bills’ first hit in the third inning. Macfarlane followed up with a single, getting Nickel home, starting with a walk in the beginning of the inning.
However, this wasn’t enough to regain some of the wind taken out of SLU’s sails in the first inning. GW closed things up in the fourth inning with the help of the Billiken defense, which allowed three errors and, consequently, three runs. The Billikens were unable to answer in their last attempt at the top of the fifth with no runs or hits.
The third game on April 12, was SLU’s chance to save face and win the series after an unsettling result late Saturday.
With quiet first and second innings from both teams, it was a nail biter to see who would make the first break.
SLU took a 3-0 lead in the third, despite only one hit from the Billikens. Friedman walked and Everingham followed. Macfarlane got a lucky break from an error on the part of GW’s shortstop, getting Friedman back to the dugout and her team on the board. Lore cracked a double to left center field, and Macfarlane and Everingham earned two more runs for SLU.
Just when things were turning back in SLU’s direction, the Colonials struck. GW earned two runs, with two singles and a double, in the bottom of the third. SLU suddenly had a hungry opponent breathing down their necks to finish them off on GW’s home turf.
A walk from Buckles, a sacrifice from Knesel and single by Friedman boosted the Bills to a 4-2 lead. Lore lengthened the lead even more with a single in the fifth. Miranda Cotton pinch ran for Lore and stole second. Buckles sealed the deal with a double to get Cotton to home. The Bills looked strong going into the bottom of the fifth inning, with a 5-2 lead over the Colonials.
Two innings remained, and an impressive seven-run surge commenced from the bats of the Colonials in the bottom of the fifth and sixth innings. SLU could not formulate any attack after an alarming six-run fifth inning from GW, giving them a 8-5 lead. GW scored a lone run in the sixth to win the final game in the series 9-5 and take home the series over, SLU 2-1.
SLU faced its across-the-river rival, SIUE, on April 15, losing to the Cougars 0-5. MacFarlane’s two-out double in the fourth was the only hit for the Billikens. The Cougars scored two runs in the first, one in the third, and two in the fourth. SLU fell to 25-15 for the season overall.
Although the Billikens did not bring a conference win home to St. Louis, they will step up to the plate again this weekend against long-time rival La Salle at Billiken Sports Center. They will play two games Saturday, April 18, at 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. and close the series Sunday at 12 p.m.
