March 29, 2006

Game One Box Score | Game Two Box Score

Kansas City, Mo. - Saint Louis hurlers Ashley Levan and Erica May combined for a six-hit shutout to salvage a split against Missouri-Kansas City on Wednesday at Adair Park in Kansas City, Mo. After falling 6-4 in the first game, SLU (10-15) got five shutout innings from Levan for her seventh win of the season and May came in to shut down the Kangaroos in the final two innings for her first career save in SLU's 6-0 win in the nightcap. It is the first time this season that the Bills shutout their opponent.

Levan got plenty of run support in the second game. SLU began the scoring with a run in the first. Jill Pursell, who led off the game by reaching on an error, advanced to second on an Ashlee Heady sacrifice bunt. With two outs, AshLeigh Williams drove in Pursell with a single to center to put the Bills up 1-0 early.

Lorena Floccari walked in the second inning and later scored on a wild pitch to increase the Billikens' lead to 2-0. SLU made it 3-0 in the sixth when Heady lifted a sacrifice fly that plated Pursell.

The Billikens put away the Kangaroos for good after a three-run two-out rally in the top of the seventh. Pursell and Christy Ernst both singled, then were cleared from the base paths with a Heady triple. Williams drove in Heady with her second hit of the night to give the Billikens a 6-0 lead.

Meanwhile, Levan and May were mowing down the UMKC lineup. Levan ended with a career-high nine strikeouts in just five inning of work. May had her best appearance of the season, allowing only three hits in two innings and striking out three.

The Billikens were plagued by a UMKC grand slam in the sixth inning in the first game of the double dip.

Down 1-0, SLU took the lead in the top of the third on a Williams RBI and an unearned run. The Bills' lead stretched to 3-1 in the top of the fifth when Williams led off the inning with her third home run of the season.

But UMKC plated a run in the bottom of the fifth and sealed the game in the sixth on a Katelyn Cummings grand slam.

Floccari was tagged with six runs on five hits in the first game. She struck out four and walked four in the outing.

With four different players registering two hits a piece, SLU had its chances but stranded 10 runners on base.

The Billikens return to The Billiken Sports Center for the first time in a month this Sat., Apr. 1, when they host Atlantic 10 Conference foe George Washington. First pitch of the doubleheader is scheduled for 1 p.m.