April 2, 2002

Final Stats

St. Louis - The Saint Louis Billikens posted their first softball win over the Missouri Tigers since 1993 with a 5-4 decision in the first game of a doubleheader at The Billiken Sports Center on Tuesday. The Tigers earned a split with a 5-2 victory in game two.

The Billikens scored four runs in the first, using two infield singles and two Tiger errors to take a lead they would not relinquish. Erin Jeffery reached on an error and Kerri Higgins advanced her with a sac bunt. Nicole Bohnenstiehl hit a ball which deflected off the glove of Tiger pitcher Ingrid Werner for a single. Adrie Bogaars reached on an error to score Jeffery for a 1-0 Billiken lead. Beth Yagge singled sharply to right to plate Bohnenstiehl for a 2-0 margin. Billiken pitcher Heather Hubert lined a ball off Werner's glove for another single to load the bases. Janet Venorsky singled to left for a 3-0 lead, and Jamie Hayden's RBI grounder pushed the SLU lead to 4-0. The Bills tacked on a run in the second when Bogaars' single followed Bohnenstiehl's two-out double. The Tigers got on the board in the third. With runners on the corners, Sara Vassmer took off for second base and SLU's throw sailed into centerfield to score pinch runner Ashley Hays. Missouri rallied in the seventh, but saw the rally just fall short. Heather Kunkel singled to start the inning, moved to second on a ground out and took third on a passed ball. Kristen Burke laced a pinch-hit single to right to cut the lead to 5-2. Pinch hitter Daisy Mettlach tripled in MU's third run, and Morgan LeCluyse's RBI single made it 5-4. But, Hubert induced a flyout to end the game. Hubert struck out seven Tigers to pick up the complete-game win, her eighth on the season. Erin Kalka was splendid in relief for the Tigers. Taking over for starter Werner, Kalka pitched 4-1/3 innings and struck out 10 Billikens.

In game two, the Tigers first two hits were home runs, and MU held off a late Billiken rally. After Rachel McGinnis drew a two-out walk, Melanie Fisher launched a deep home run to left for a 2-0 Tiger lead. SLU pitcher Nicole Bohnenstiehl retired the next 10 Missouri batters, but Daisy Mettlach hit a solo home run for a 3-0 lead. Missouri stretched the lead to 5-0 in the sixth. Melanie Fisher's sac fly scored Morgan LeCluyse and Heather Kunkel's single scored McGinnis for MU's 5-0 advantage. The Billikens answered with two runs in the bottom of the sixth. Nicole Bohnenstiehl struck out six, but was dealt the loss.

The Billikens are 13-17 on the season and the Tigers are 21-23.