March 11, 2007
Box Score
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Saint Louis senior Jill Pursell launched a game-tying home run in the bottom of the seventh and sophomore Rachel Heet drove in the winning run in the bottom of the eighth as the Billikens (7-10) knocked off host Samford at the Bulldog Bash on Sunday. SLU reliever Lorena Floccari allowed just one hit over 2-2/3 innings in the circle for her second win of the season.
Both teams managed to plate a run in the first inning. Samford's Jessica Owens smacked a lead-off single, then advanced to third after a stolen base and a wild pitch. SLU starter Ashley Levan got Shelley Stanley to ground out, but Owens scored in the process to give the Bulldogs an early 1-0 advantage.
SLU answered in its half of the first. After the first two batters of the inning were retired, freshman Nicki Jost and Christy Ernst scorched back-to-back doubles allowing Jost to score and giving Ernst her team-leading 10th RBI.
The score remained 1-1 until the top of the sixth when a familiar face struck again. Stanley, who just yesterday homered to help Samford top the Bills, launched a three-run shot to give the Bulldogs a 4-1 lead.
SLU pulled to within one in the bottom of the sixth. Jost led off with her second double of the game, then Ernst and freshman Kinsley Kelley reached on a hit by pitch and error, respectively, to load the bases. Heet and freshman Shana Richard each put balls in play to score runs via a fielder's choice to pull SLU to within one at 4-3.
After Floccari retired the side in the top of the seventh, Pursell started the late inning heroics with a game-tying home run in the bottom of the frame. Pursell, who earlier in the game stretched her career-high hitting streak to 11 games, sent a Susanna Meyer pitch over the center field for her second career homer.
Per international tiebreaker rules, a runner was placed on second before the start of the top of the eighth. But SLU's defense eliminated Samford's chance with a double play, setting up an opportunity for the Bills to win the game in the bottom of the eighth.
Ernst was placed on second to start the inning, then advanced to third on Kelley's groundout. Heet then put a grounder in play that was able to score Ernst and deliver a come-from-behind victory for the Billikens.
The Billikens, winners of five of their last six, travel to Kissimmee, Fla., for the Rebel Spring Games where they will play eight games in four days beginning on Tuesday.
