Despite spring break providing a break for most students, the softball team remained busy, playing eight games over two weekends.
SLU hosted a Cancer Awareness tournament during the weekend of March 4-6. The team went 3-1 in the tournament, with wins over Missouri State, Northern Illinois and South East Missouri State. The only loss of the weekend came to the University of Missouri-Kansas City.
The following weekend, March 11-12, SLU traveled to Norman, Oklahoma, to take on Oklahoma, Maryland and BYU. SLU won its first game of the weekend against Maryland 11-2 in six innings. In the following game, SLU lost to top 15-ranked Oklahoma 4-9. Next, SLU faced BYU and Maryland, losing 5-6 and 0-8 respectively. BYU jumped out to an early lead over SLU, but senior Elizabeth Everingham broke SLU’s drought with a three-run homerun. SLU took the lead in the fifth when sophomore Alyssa Tarquinio hit a double with two outs, scoring two. BYU regained the lead, capturing the win, in the sixth with a two-run homer. Maryland pitched a no-hitter against SLU.
Following two busy weekends, SLU took on Drake on March 15, losing 2-6. SLU came out strong in the first inning, with junior Mackenzie Peter knocking in her sixth home run of the season, a team-high. After jumping out to a 1-0 lead, Drake answered in the top of the second with a run of its own to tie the score. The third and fourth innings went by without either team crossing the plate, but the Bulldogs commanded the lead in the fifth, going up 5-1.
SLU tried to claw its way back in, with junior Emma Buckles hitting an RBI-double to bring the score to 5-2, but it wasn’t enough. In the top of the seventh, Drake tallied a final run en route to a 6-2 victory. Buckles and sophomore Josie Knesel both had two hits apiece in the loss.
SLU played Southern Illinois University (SIU) on March 16 at home. SLU lost 2-15 in five innings, their fifth straight contest dropped. SIU improved to 14-8 with the victory, while SLU is now 8-12.
The Salukis jumped out to an early advantage, tallying a run in the first and four in the third to take a 5-0 lead. SLU responded in the fourth, with Peter hammering a homerun for the second game in a row. Tarquino hit an RBI double to make the score 5-2 SIU. However, the next inning was all SIU, as the Salukis added nine runs. The Billikens failed to respond in the bottom half of the inning, so the game ended, the Salukis taking the victory.
Next up for SLU is the Rock Chalk Challenge, hosted by Kansas from March 18-20. SLU will face Kansas, Tulsa, Minnesota twice and UMKC, who defeated the Billikens 4-3 on March 5. The tournament is the last regular season tournament of the season for SLU, as they open Atlantic 10 play at home against St. Bonaventure on March 25.
