April 17, 2009

Box Score

ST. LOUIS - Nicki Jost's heroics helped Saint Louis sweep Saint Joseph's in an Atlantic 10 Conference softball doubleheader at The Billiken Sports Center on Friday evening. With two outs and the Billikens (18-24, 9-3 A-10) trailing by one in the bottom of the seventh, Jost hit an RBI triple into the right field corner and scored on a throwing error to give her team the 4-3 victory. In game one, Kelcie Matesa surrendered just two hits as the Bills scored three runs in the third and held on for the 3-1 victory.

After Matesa retired the side on strikeouts in the first inning of the opener, Saint Joseph's (18-17, 6-6 A-10) broke through with a run in the second. Brooke Darreff walked to start the frame and scored on Erika Rosenwinkel's double down the left-field line.

The Billikens used two hits and two Hawks' errors to go up 3-1 in the third with the only runs they would need to earn the win. With one out, Kristin Nicoletti reached on an infield error. Rachel O'Connell put down the sacrifice bunt by Saint Joe's catcher threw the ball away on the throw to first allowing Dockins to tie the score at 1-1. Then Rachel Heet drove in a run with a ground out to the shortstop before Jost plated the third run of the frame with a single to left field.

Saint Joseph's threatened in the top of the seventh after Monica Aguilar singled through the left side. The Bills recorded their first out by forcing out Aguilar at second on a fielder's choice. Matesa got the next batter to pop out to second base before SLU committed its only error of the game to put Hawks on the corners. But Matesa (6-8) caught next batter looking on strikes to end the game. She tossed a complete-game two-hitter, allowing one run and two walks while fanning six. Jost led the Billiken offense with two hits and an RBI, while O'Connell and Dockins had a hit apiece and Heet contributed an RBI.

The Hawks raced out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first after leadoff batter Laura Cardone singled up the middle. After being sacrifice to second with a bunt, Cardone came around to score on Aguilar's single up the middle. SLU immediately got the run back in the bottom of the inning. Nicoletti hit a leadoff single up the middle and then stole second base. She moved to third on O'Connell's sacrifice and came across on a Heet single up the middle.

Rosenwinkel's leadoff double down the left-field line in the fourth paved the way for the Hawks' second run. After advancing to third on a wild pitch, Rosenwinkel crossed on Dani Gonzalez's single to left field. Matesa came on in relief of SLU starter Stacy Gillette and immediately got three outs on a pair of fielder's choices and a strikeout to end the threat.

SJU threatened to score in the sixth after loading the bases with one out on a double, a walk and a hit batsman. But reliever Emma DeKalb worked her way out of the jam, fanning the first batter she faced before getting the ensuing batter to fly out to shortstop on a softly hit flare. The Bills went on to tie things up in the bottom of the sixth after Katie Johns hit back-to-back singles to left field. The Hawks tallied the first out by forcing Johns' pinch runner out at second on a fielder's choice while pinch runner Liz Jones went to third. Then Rachel Faletto grounded out on a little spinner back to the pitcher as Jones charged home and beat out the tag to tie the game at 2-2.

However, Saint Joseph's regained the lead in the top of the seventh after Aguilar doubled to right center to ignite the offense. She was sacrificed to third with a bunt before the Bills recorded the second out on a fly ball to right field. But Aguilar managed to cross on a wild pitch to give her team the 3-2 edge.

Saint Louis battled back with two outs in the bottom of the seventh. Heet knocked a two-out single to right center before Jost came through with the RBI triple into the right-field corner. Jost came home safely when the relay from right field sailed wide of third base allowing her to score the game-winning run.

Heet went 4-for-4 with an RBI, while Nicoletti and Jost both went 2-for-4. Cejka and Johns collected SLU's remaining two hits as Faletto and Jost each notched an RBI.

Gillette gave up two runs on seven hits and one walk with two strikeouts in the first three innings. Matesa allowed two hits and two walks to go with two strikeouts in 2-1/3 innings. DeKalb (3-0) earned the win after yielding one run on one hit and one walk while fanning one in 1-2/3 innings of relief.