April 18, 2001

Box Score

Cape Girardeau, Mo. - The Saint Louis University softball team ended a 20-game losing streak by splitting a doubleheader at Southeast Missouri State. The Billikens earned a 2-1 victory in eight innings in game one but dropped an 11-3 decision in game two. In the fifth inning of the first game, junior Erin Jeffery lashed a single up the middle to break the single-season record for hits with her 45th hit of the season.

The Billikens grabbed a 1-0 lead in the top of the fourth then Erin Jeffery over to third. Beth Yagge delivered with a single down the right line to put SLU on top 2-1. In SEMO's half of the eighth, Brooke Nett ended up at third with one out but pitcher Heather Hubert kept Southeast Missouri off the board. She induced a one-hopper to shortstop Janet Venorsky for the second out and forced a harmless popup to end the game. Hubert threw three strikeouts and allowed just four hits in picking up the complete game win. The Billikens have been outstanding in extra-inning games this season. They have played in seven such affairs and are 5-2 in games going past seven innings.

Game two saw the Billikens have various fielding miscues lead to an 11-3 loss. In the decisive second inning, SEMO sent 14 hitters to the plate in scoring eight runs on six hits aided by SLU fielding difficulties. The highlight of the game for the Bills was Meredith Henry's three-run homer in the top of the fourth for her fifth home run of the season. But the Billikens could not inch any closer and watched the game end after five innings.

The Billikens are now 20-24 overall while Southeast Missouri State is 17-19. The Billikens return to Conference USA play this Fri., April 20, with a 5 p.m. game at Southern Miss in Hattiesburg, Miss.