April 29, 2006
Game One Box Score | Game Two Box Score
St. Bonaventure, N.Y. - Saint Louis was swept by host St. Bonaventure in an Atlantic 10 Conference softball doubleheader on Saturday at McGraw-Jennings Field. In game one, St. Bonaventure (19-19, 11-5 A-10) took advantage of three Billiken errors and scored their four runs unearned in a 4-1 victory. In game two, the Billikens (18-31, 7-11 A-10) stranded nine base runners in a 7-3 defeat.
In game one, St. Bonaventure struck first in the bottom of the third thanks to several defensive miscues by the Billikens. Andrea Swanger led off the inning after reaching on an Ashlee Heady error, and Brianna Bicker reached on an AshLeigh Williams error. Both were later driven home on Joelle Brunetto's two-run single to center field to give the Bonnies the 2-0 advantage.
SLU wouldn't crack the scoreboard until the top of fifth. Kara Sell led off the inning with a walk and advanced to second on a passed ball. Jody Herbert then advanced Sell to third base with a sacrifice bunt to set up a squeeze opportunity. Jill Pursell placed a bunt down the third-base line, allowing Sell to trot home and give the Billikens a 2-1 advantage.
The Billikens continued the rally in the fifth when Christy Ernst was hit by a pitch and Heady singled. But the threat was halted when the runners were stranded at the corners.
St. Bonaventure plated two more unearned runs in the bottom half of the fifth. Joelle Brunetto led off the inning with a double, and Ernst committed an error on the sacrifice bunt that followed, allowing Brunetto to score. After retiring the next two batters, which would have been the end of the inning if not for the error, Kirsten Strong delivered an RBI double to centerfield to stretch the Bonnies lead to 4-1.
Ashley Levan was tagged with the loss for SLU despite throwing six innings and allowing no earned runs. She struck out nine batters and walked none. Christine Keleher picked up the win for St. Bonaventure after allowing the one run on six hits. She struck out eight and walked three.
In the nightcap, St. Bonaventure utilized a three-run, two-out rally in the first to take an early advantage. SLU starter Lorena Floccari retired the first two batters, but two doubles, a walk and a single resulted in three runs for the Bonnies.
Just as it did in the first game, errors cost the Billikens in the second. St. Bonaventure made it 6-0 with three more runs in the bottom of the fourth, two of which were unearned.
The Billikens got a run across in the fifth, but spoiled a chance at a big inning after loading the bases with only one out. Logan Justice led off the inning with a double, and advanced to third when Sell reached on an error by the third baseman. After a strikeout, Pursell loaded the bases after drawing her team-leading 20th walk of the season. The Billikens did get one run across on an Ernst groundout, but they ended up stranding two of their nine runners in the frame.
After St. Bonaventure plated an insurance run in the sixth, SLU mounted a rally in the top of the seventh. Ernst reached on an infield single, then advanced to third on a Heady double to right center. After Ernst scored on a wild pitch, Heady came around to score when Lorena Floccari reached on a fielding error by the Bonnie pitcher. But that is all the runs the Billikens would muster as St. Bonaventure secured the 7-3 victory.
Floccari suffered the loss in the circle after allowing seven runs, five earned, and 10 hits. Keleher once again threw for the Bonnies and limited the Billikens to only two earned runs on seven hits.
The Billikens are back in action on Tue., May 2, when they take on Tennessee-Martin in a non-conference doubleheader at The Billiken Sports Center in a 3 p.m. start. SLU concludes its regular season with an A-10 doubleheader at Dayton next weekend.
