May 9, 2007
Box Score
AMHERST, Mass. - Jenna Renner's pinch-hit home run in the sixth inning helped Saint Louis claim a 5-4 come-from-behind win over George Washington in its first Atlantic 10 Championship appearance in Amherst, Mass. on Wednesday afternoon. The No. 3 Billikens (27-31) will take on No. 2 Fordham Thursday at 1 p.m. (CT).
Annie Dillinger broke open the game with one out in the bottom of the second. She smacked her fifth homer of the season over the wall in straight-away center to put the Billikens up 1-0. Allison Appenfeller then reached on a walk before GW starter Amanda Gabriel caught Rachel O'Connell looking for the second out. Brittney Schmidt hit a sacrifice bunt right back to Gabriel, but she overthrew first base and both SLU runners got into scoring position and Appenfeller scored when the second baseman committed an error on the throw to the plate.
Saint Louis added another run in the ensuing inning when Rachel Heet scorched a double to right center to start the frame. Following a pair of fly outs, Shana Richard sent a high chopper up the middle for an RBI single to give the Bills a 3-0 lead. The Colonials countered with a run in the top of the fourth after SLU starter Ashley Levan issued a one-out walk to Elana Meyers. Caroline Howe's double down the left field line allowed Meyers to score when Jill Pursell misplayed the ball off the wall, which cut the Billiken lead to two.
GW's Colleen Kegler trimmed the SLU lead to one when she sent a 2-2 Levan offering over the wall in centerfield to leadoff the top of the fifth. Then Jackie Yaniga reached first safely after a wild pitch on a third strike. She moved to second on a sacrifice bunt and went on to third on pinch hitter Kaity Harbour's single to right center. Yaniga made the score 3-3 when she scored on Meyers' two-out single to shortstop.
Hilary King put George Washington (23-26) out in front 4-3 in the top of the sixth by hitting a leadoff round-tripper over the left centerfield wall. But the lead was short-lived as Saint Louis hopped back on top in the bottom of the frame. Dillinger reached on an infield single to start the rally. After a fly out, she moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by O'Connell. SLU head coach John Conway then called upon Renner, a senior, for some offensive leadership. Renner delivered immediately knocking reliever Lisa Cohen's first pitch off the scoreboard in left field for a 5-4 advantage, which held for the final score.
Levan (12-9) picked up the win, striking out eight, walking two and scattering six hits. Meanwhile, Heet and Dillinger paced the offense with two hits apiece while Renner led the Bills with two RBI. George Washington's six hits came from six different players. Gabriel (13-11) suffered the loss for the Colonials. She walked one and struck out three while surrendering three hits.
