April 11, 2009

Box Score

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Saint Louis got another outstanding pitching performance from reliever Emma DeKalb and scored four runs in the 11th to claim a 6-2 win over Charlotte in game one of the Atlantic 10 Conference doubleheader on Saturday afternoon. But the 49ers (23-12, 7-3 A-10) scored four runs in the first inning of game two and held off the Billikens (14-22, 7-3 A-10) to salvage the split in a 5-2 victory.

After fending off Charlotte's scoring opportunities in the third and fourth, the Billikens took the lead in the top of the fifth in the series opener. Caitlin Trevillyan drew a two-out walk and scored on Rachel Faletto's first collegiate home run, a shot to left field that put SLU up 2-0.

However, the 49ers rallied for two runs in the sixth to knot the score at 2-2. Keri Palma singled to start the rally and moved to second on a ground out. Cee Brooks' double down the right-field line put runners on second and third, knocking SLU starter Emma DeKalb forced Sarah Malene to line out to first base to escape the jam.

Neither team was able to break the stalemate until Saint Louis came through with four runs in the 11th. With one out, Rachel Heet blasted her first home run of the season for the 3-2 edge. Nicki Jost followed with a single to left field and promptly stole second base. Rachel O'Connell provided the Bills with a two-run cushion on an RBI single to center field. Then Katie Johns recorded her second home run in less than a week with a two-run shot over the fence in left field to make it 6-2.

The 49ers collected a pair of singles in the bottom of the 11th but it was not enough as DeKalb (1-0) earned her first collegiate victory. She allowed five hits in 5-1/3 innings while walking one. Matesa surrendered two runs on six hits and three walks while fanning two in the first 5-1/3 innings. Kelly allowed two hits in 1/3 of an inning. Charlotte starter Emily Jeffery (16-6) allowed five runs on seven hits and four walks while striking out 14 in 10-1/3 innings.

Kelly Flanagan and Faletto paced the Billiken offense with two hits apiece, while Faletto and Johns each had a team-high two RBIs. Rumbles went 4-for-5 to lead the Charlotte offense.

In game two, the 49ers raced out to a 4-0 lead in the first. With one out, Whitney Williams and Serena Smith hit back-to-back infield singles before both moved into scoring position on a wild pitch from SLU starter Stacy Gillette. Palma put her team on top with an RBI single before Brooks knocked a two-run single into the gap in left center with two outs. West added an RBI double to center field for the four-run advantage.

SLU was unable to get anything going offensively until the third inning when Kristin Nicoletti hit a one-out single to left center and stole second base. Then Heet and Jost recorded consecutive singles with Jost picking up an RBI to trim the margin to three. With two outs, Johns was hit by a pitch to load the bases but Charlotte starter Katy Hackett got the ensuing batter to fly out to center field to end the threat.

It was the Bills cutting the deficit even more in the fifth. With two down, Jost reached on an error and advanced to second on Erin Cejka's single through the right side. Johns smacked a single up the middle to plate Jost and make it a two-run game. But SLU would get no closer as only Heet reached base after the fifth on a seventh-inning single. Meanwhile, Charlotte extended its lead after scoring on a wild pitch in the sixth.

Gillette (4-10) shouldered the loss, allowing five runs on 10 hits in six innings, while Hackett gave up two runs (one earned) on seven hits while striking out five in seven innings. Heet posted a team-high two hits for the Bills while Jost and Johns had the only RBIs. Williams led the 40er offense with a team-high three hits, while Brooks contributed a team-high two RBIs.