March 22, 2001

Box Score

St. Louis - The Saint Louis University Billiken softball team split a doubleheader against Wichita State on Thursday at The Billiken Sports Center. The Billikens took game one 1-0 in eight innings but the Shockers came back in the second game for a 3-2 victory.

The Billikens won the first game in extra innings when SLU strung together three straight hits to push across the game's only run in the eighth. Adrie Bogaars lead off the inning with a sharp single to left center. Nicole Bohnenstiehl dropped a single to short center and Janet Venorsky won the game with a line drive single off the glove of Wichita State shortstop Tina Lewis. The Billikens loaded the bases twice but could not drive a run in. Saint Louis received an outstanding play from outfielder Beth Puttcamp who for the second straight game, gunned down a runner at the plate. In the top of the fourth, WSU's Lewis was at third with one out. Third baseman Andrea Kleckner launched a deep fly ball to left field, but Puttcamp circled underneath the ball and threw a one-hop strike to SLU catcher Kalee Reichert who easily tagged Lewis out to keep the game scoreless. Bohnenstiehl struck out nine Shockers and went the distance for her nine victory of the season. The win marked the first time the Bills have won three straight games at the two-year old Billiken Sports Center.

The Billikens grabbed an early 2-0 lead in game two, but saw Wichita State rally with three late runs. The Bills scored in the bottom of the first when Puttcamp beat out an infield single and then stole second base. Bogaars drilled a double to right center to give SLU a 1-0 lead. The Billikens added a run to the margin in the second. Kerri Higgins singled, moved to second on a Jamie Hayden sac bunt and scored on a Wichita State error. WSU earned one run back on a single, stolen base and an RBI single to make it 2-1 in the fourth. The Bills were poised for the sweep, but the Shockers scored two runs without a hit to win the game. Wichita State used a one-out walk, two fielder's choices and a groundout as well as a SLU error to manufacture the two tallies. Amanda Cave worked the last five innings in relief to pick up her fifth victory of the season. Heather Hubert allowed just four hits and only one earned run but was dealt the loss for Saint Louis.

The Billikens are now 13-9 on the season while Wichita State sees its record stand at 12-11. The Billikens welcome South Florida for the Conference USA opener this Saturday in a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. at The Billiken Sports Center.