April 21, 2007
Game One Box Score | Game Two Box Score
CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Saint Louis used a pair of home runs from Jill Pursell and Annie Dillinger to secure a split in a crucial Atlantic 10 Conference doubleheader at Charlotte on Saturday. The bombs were part of a five-run fifth inning in the nightcap, which helped SLU (22-26, 7-6 A-10) break a six-game skid in A-10 action with the 8-5 victory. The 49ers (26-21, 4-7 A-10) took the opener by an 8-5 margin.
Following a ceremony to honor the Niners' seven seniors, Charlotte jumped on top in the bottom of the first. Evan Miller reached on an error, then advanced on a sacrifice bunt by Sarah Malene. Kristi Killough, the team's leading hitter, was intentionally walked by SLU starter Ashley Levan to put runners on first and second for Becky Matthews. With one out, Matthews stroked a single up the middle to plate Miller and give the Niners an early 1-0 lead.
Charlotte tacked on another run in the second inning via a home run from Kaycie Jones. Leading off, she sent a Levan pitch into the shrubbery just over the left field fence for a 2-0 49ers lead.
Matthews' second RBI of the game made it 3-0 Charlotte in the first. Malene reached on an error, then stole second. Matthews then sent a ball down the third-base line that deflected the diving Brittney Schmidt's glove and into left field for an unearned run.
Meanwhile, Charlotte starter Kristen Bowen cruised through the first four innings. She allowed one base runner the first time through the order, a two-out walk to Dillinger. The Billikens put their first hit on the board in the fourth when freshman Nicki Jost sent a shot up the middle for a one-out single. But she was subsequently caught stealing and Bowen got out of the inning with no further damage.
The Bills took the lead and then some in the fifth on a pair of two-out, two-run singles and an RBI on an error. The Billikens loaded the bases despite not getting a hit, then did all their damage in the inning with two outs on the board. Senior Allison Appenfeller walked, and Dillinger reached after getting hit. Freshman Rachel O'Connell walked to juice the bases, and Pursell delivered with a two-out single to cut the Bills' deficit to 3-2. Freshman Shana Richard followed up with a two-run single of her own to give the Billikens a 4-3 lead. Senior Christy Ernst then put a ball in play that was booted by the Niners' second baseman, which plated Richard and put the Bills up 5-3.
After the Billikens plated five runs in the top of the fifth, Charlotte returned the favor in the bottom half of the inning. Miller and Malene led off with singles, and Killough loaded the bases with a walk. Miller came home when Matthews was hit by a pitch, which bounced Levan from the game for reliever Stacy Gillette. With the bases still loaded, Cee Brooks drove a shot up the middle for a single, which resulted in three runs after the ball was over-ran by Dillinger in center. Jones drove home Brooks to make it 8-5 Charlotte before SLU was able to escape from the inning.
Bowen stayed strong in the late innings and worked around a seventh-inning single from Jost for her 11th win of the year.
Jost led the Billikens with two hits, while Richard and Pursell each drove in a pair of runs.
The Niners once again struck first in the second game, this time off of starter Gillette. Miller led off with a double, and Malene drove her home with a single up the middle to give the 49ers the early 1-0 advantage. As a result, Gillette was pulled from the game in favor of junior Lorena Floccari, who proceeded to get the Billikens out of the inning before any more runs crossed the plate.
Charlotte made it 2-0 in the third after a pair of singles. Jenny Rumbles led off with a single, then advanced to third on a steal and a groundout. She scampered home on a single from Killough.
The Billikens threatened for the first time in the top of the fourth. Jost and Ernst drew consecutive one-out walks, and Dillinger loaded the bases after a walk with two outs. Sophomore Rachel Heet hit a lined shot to first that bounced out of the first baseman's mit and allowed Jost to score to trim Charlotte's lead to just 2-1.
SLU broke out the long ball in the fifth and once again put a five-spot on the board. O'Connell reached on a lead-off single, and Pursell took advantage by driving a two-run home run for a 4-2 lead. The homer, which easily cleared the 220-foot center field fence, was Pursell's fifth of the season.
The next batter, Richard, reached on a single up the middle. Jost reached on a fielder's choice, and Ernst put runners on the corners with a base knock. Dillinger then came to the plate and blasted a towering home run to left field to put the Billikens up 6-2. It was Dillinger's second bomb of the season.
Charlotte cut the lead in the half with a run on a sacrifice fly to push the score to 6-3 through five innings.
The Billikens regained a four-run lead in the sixth. With two outs, Pursell was hit by a pitch and advanced into scoring position when junior Jess Burns drew a walk. Jost then lined a single to center that allowed Pursell to score and stretch SLU's lead to 7-3.
Charlotte added two runs in the bottom of the sixth, and it could have been worse if not for some good Billiken defense. Jones drove in Brooks with a double, and Jones scampered home on a two-bagger by Jenny Rumbles. The inning, and perhaps the game, was saved on a diving snag by Dillinger in center and a leaping grab on a line drive at short by Schmidt to end the inning.
The Bills added another run in the top of the seventh for insurance purposes. Appenfeller, Dillinger and O'Connell walked to load the bases. Pursell then hit a single up the middle to plate Dillinger and give the Bills an 8-5 lead.
Gillette faced the tying run with one out in the bottom of the seventh, but got out of the jam on a pair of groundouts. She experienced the rare occurrence of earning a save while also being the starting pitcher. Due to re-entry rules, Gillette was allowed to come back into the circle in later innings after being pulled early on.
The Billikens travel to Evansville, Ind., on Wednesday for a doubleheader with the Purple Aces before returning home to face Temple on Friday.
