April 26, 2006
Game One Box Score | Game Two Box Score
ST. LOUIS - The pitching of Ashley Levan and Lorena Floccari helped Saint Louis produce a doubleheader sweep of Western Illinois in non-conference softball action on Wednesday at The Billiken Sports Center. Levan limited the Westerwinds (16-29-1) to seven hits in the first game for a 2-1 win, and Floccari allowed only five hits in a 5-1 victory in the nightcap. Offensively for the Billikens (18-29), AshLeigh Williams became SLU's all-time single season RBI leader after an RBI single in the second game.
SLU's Levan and WIU's Kamren Ferguson were enjoying a scoreless pitcher's duel until SLU broke through in the bottom of the fifth. With one down, Kara Sell reached on a bunt single, then was sacrificed to second on a Jody Herbert bunt. Jill Pursell then smashed one of her two triples on the day to plate Sell. Christy Ernst followed with an RBI single to score Pursell and give the Billikens a 2-0 lead.
WIU responded with a run in the top of the sixth. Jennifer Garcia doubled to left center and advanced to third on a wild pitch. Meghan Strazar walked to put runners at the corners and set up a double steal opportunity. The idea worked as Strazar broke for second and was caught in a rundown before eventually being tagged out, but not before Garcia came across the plate to cut the Billiken lead to 2-1.
Ferguson retired the Billikens in order in the bottom of the sixth, and WIU threatened in the top of the seventh. Maureen Troller and Elysha Swider both singled and advanced into scoring position with no outs, but Levan got two groundouts and a lazy fly ball to center to end the threat and secure the 2-1 victory for the Billikens.
Levan went the distance for her 11th victory of the season. She scattered seven hits and struck out five. Ernst ended the game 2-for-3 with an RBI and run scored.
Riding high after a win in the first game, SLU picked up where it left off in the second game.
Pursell led off the bottom of the first with her team-leading fourth triple of the season. After Ersnt reached on a fielder's choice, Pursell came around to score when Ashlee Heady scorched a double down the left field line. Williams delivered her record-breaking 32nd RBI of the season with a single to plate Ernst, and Jenna Renner completed the scoring when she drove in Heady on a groundout to third.
Williams and Renner pushed across two more runs in the bottom of the second to make it 5-0. Jess Burns led off the inning with a walk, and advanced to second on a Pursell single to right. Both runners advanced on an Ernst groundout, and Burns scored when Williams singled to the pitcher. Floccari reached safely on an error by the catcher that kept the inning alive to allow for a Renner RBI single.
Meanwhile, Floccari was cruising in the circle. She picked up her seventh win of the year after scattering five hits and striking out three. Pursell, Heady, Williams and Renner all had two hits a piece as the Billikens banged out a total of 12 in the game. Freshman Erica May, who came into the game with only three at bats, entered the mix in the bottom of the sixth and delivered the first hit of her collegiate career on a clean liner up the middle.
Saint Louis returns to Atlantic 10 Conference play this weekend when they travel to face St. Bonaventure on Sat., Apr. 29. First pitch of the doubleheader is slated for noon (CT).
