May 4, 2008

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DAYTON, Ohio - The University of Dayton Flyers were swept in a senior day twinbill with the Saint Louis Billikens at UD Softball Stadium on Sunday, 9-6 and 4-1. The losses left Dayton with a 20-31 season record and a 7-13 conference mark. In addition, Cara Clark became the first head coach to win 20 games in their inaugural season.

Three Flyers hit .500 or better in the losses combining for 11 of 19 hits on the day. Megan Lee went 4-for-7, scoring one run and driving in one more while freshman Emily Stegeman went 4-for-7 as well with one double and one run. Molly Meyer went 3-for-6 as well, smacking one double.

Erin Lafayette pitched the majority of the series tossing 10.1 innings and striking out 11 batters. LaFayette averaged one hit per inning while walking eight on the day. She finished the season with 113 strikeouts, a personal best.

UD found themselves in a hole early four as Saint Louis racked up six runs in six innings. The Flyer bats came alive in a rally however when Blair Crabtree belted a two-run homer over the left field wall giving her sole possession of third place in home runs for UD.

A pair of singles by Anne Maci and Katie Jordan scored two more for the Flyers in the bottom of the sixth, cutting into the deficit 6-4.

The Billikens, however, would fend off the Flyers cranking out a three run home run in the final frame distancing themselves from Dayton 9-4.

Dayton rallied back once more on Laura Matthews single driving in one run and Lee's single up the middle scored the second run pulling Dayton within three once more. The Billikens, however, forced a ground out to end the game and secure their postseason berth.

Lee scored the lone run for the Flyers in the second game off of a basehit by Katie Jordan in the fifth. With two runners in scoring position, Billikens reliever Loreena Floccari retired the final two hitters to end Dayton's chance at a late game comeback.

With the losses the Flyers are eliminated from postseason contention and finish the season with a 20-31 record, completing one of the best turnarounds in Flyer softball history. For the latest on off-season news and information visit www.DaytonFlyers.com