The Saint Louis University softball team traveled to La Salle for a three-game series on April 2nd and 3rd. La Salle took a quick 3-0 lead in the first inning of the first game, but SLU retaliated by scoring twice in the sixth inning. Senior third baseman Elizabeth Everingham hit an RBI single and sophomore infielder Alyssa Tarquino followed a double from sophomore infielder Allie Macfarlane with an RBI single of her own that made the score 3-2. SLU evened the score in the seventh inning, when junior first baseman Emma Buckles hit a single and scored on a double from junior outfielder Mackenzie Peter. La Salle scored the winning home run in the bottom of the frame and handed the Bills a 4-3 loss.
In the second matchup, junior shortstop Alex Nickel gave the Bills momentum by hitting her fourth home run of the season. SLU scored two more runs on a wild pitch and a passed ball. Macfarlane hit a monster three-run home run in the third to make the score 6-0. The homer was Macfarlane’s fourth for the season. La Salle got on the board with two runs in the fourth and threatened to score, but senior pitcher Brianna Lore relieved senior starting pitcher Laney Kneib and struck out the next three batters to keep the score 6-2. Lore hit a three-run double in the sixth and senior outfielder Madeline Brungardt capped the scoring with a two-out RBI double. The Bills upended the Explorers 10-2.
Nickel began the final game much like the second, hitting a lead-off home run. Everingham hit an RBI single and junior catcher Hailey Weavers recorded a two-run single to give the Bills a 4-0 lead. SLU scored their fifth run on a passed ball. La Salle got on the board in the bottom of the first with a two-run home run. Everingham responded in the second inning with a three-run home run. The Billikens continued to dominate in the third as Weavers scored on a double steal, Buckles brought in a runner with a single and Everingham hit another three-run home run, which put SLU up 13-2. The Explorers scored in the fourth and hit a grand slam in the fifth, but they could not contain SLU’s offense. In the sixth, freshman catcher Kaylyn Breithbach hit a sacrifice fly, Nickel doubled in a runner and sophomore infielder Miranda Cotton and junior infielder Taylor Meeks each hit RBI singles to give SLU a 17-7 lead. Everingham became the only player in Saint Louis softball history to hit two home runs in a game on three occasions. As a team, the Billikens recorded a school-record 22 hits, scored a season-high 17 runs and equaled their season high of three home runs.
The Bills traveled to play Dayton for a double-header on April 6. SLU lost both matchups by a one run margin, 1-0 and 2-1 respectively. The team will continue their schedule on April 9 against Rhode Island.
