Billikens Split First Two Games on Opening Day
Feb. 16, 2008
HAMMOND, La. - The Saint Louis softball team suffered some early jitters that cost them in a 4-3 loss to UT Martin (2-3) in its season opener at the Lion Classic in Hammond, La., on Saturday afternoon. But the Billikens (1-1)used the offensive momentum they had at the end of game one to spur themselves on to a 9-1 win over Jackson State (3-6) in game two. UT Martin took the lead in the bottom of the second inning. With one out, Megan Williams doubled to left field and moved to third on a passed ball. After Billiken starter Lorena Floccari issued a walk, Williams scored on Kara Harper's single to the gap on the left side of the infield. The Skyhawks pushed their lead out to three runs in the bottom of the third. Greer Long reached on a walk and moved to second on a Billiken error. With runners on first and second, Floccari got the force out at third base to put two outs on the board. Williams' second hit of the day brought in Long for the one-run advantage and UTM pushed another run across on a wild pitch to make it 3-0. SLU rallied for two runs in the top of the sixth courtesy of back-to-back singles by Rachel Heet and Nicki Jost to start the frame. A strikeout and a groundout put both runners in scoring position before Annie Dillinger singled to centerfield. Heet easily scored while Jost crossed the plate when Williams' throw from center was off the mark. The Bills added another run in the top of the seventh to knot the score at 3-3. Brittney Schmidt reached on a leadoff walk and Rachel O'Connell trailed with a singled to center. Then Allison Hopke moved both runners into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt. With two outs, Jost walked to load the bases just and then Katie Johns was hit by a pitch to tally SLU's third run.
UTM came through with the winning run in the bottom of the seventh. Following a leadoff walk, a Billiken error put Skyhawks' runners on the corners. Williams' fourth hit of the day, a single to right center, provided UTM with the run it needed to eke out the win. SLU's six hits came from six different players. Floccari (0-1) took the loss in the circle, surrendering five hits, three unearned runs and three walks in four innings of work. Johns and Dillinger, who provided some stellar defense in the outfield, each had an RBI in the contest. Saint Louis had some momentum heading into their second game. The Bills got three hits in the first inning to take a 3-0 lead. Kristin Nicoletti had a leadoff single and stole second base to get into scoring position. Heet added a single to left center and advanced to second on the throw as she and Nicoletti got into scoring position. Then Jost was hit by a pitch to load the bases before Johns sliced a single to right center to hand SLU a 2-0 lead. Jost and Johns moved to third and second, respectively, on a groundout before Dillinger's sacrifice bunt plated Jost for a 3-0 edge. Jackson State put their only run of the game on the board in the top of the second. Ebony Stevenson hit a leadoff single up the middle and moved to second on a groundout. She then advanced to third on Alla Williams' single to left field before scoring on Shannon Tillar's hit to the same location. The Bills brought an abrupt end to the game in the bottom of the fifth when they scored six runs on five hits for the 9-1 win. Shana Richard reached on a one-out infield single and Dillinger walked to put a pair of Billikens on the bases. Richard was then forced out at third for the second out on Schmidt's fielder's choice. Schmidt and Dillinger executed a double steal to get into scoring position prior to Jody Herbert's base on balls to fill the bases. SLU then got consecutive RBI singles from Hopke and Nicoletti prior to back-to-back two-RBI hits from Heet and Jost to end the game. Nicoletti finished with a game-best 3-for-4 effort in game two. Heet and Hopke each had a pair of hits while Heet, Jost and Johns contributed two RBIs apiece. Kelly (1-0) earned the win in the circle. She scattered four hits in three innings while allowing one run and fanning two. Floccari, the Billikens' career saves leader, picked up her first save of the season, and the sixth of her career, with four strikeouts and one hit allowed in two innings of relief. Saint Louis stole six bases in its first two games. Dillinger, who stole a base in each game, moved into a tie for eighth place on SLU's career stolen bases list. She has 21 for her career. The Billikens take on host Southeastern Louisiana today at 4 p.m., and resume tournament action tomorrow at 10 a.m. against Grambling State. Then SLU will face Mississippi Valley State at 12:30 p.m. to complete the tournament. |
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