ST. LOUIS – Maddie Baalman tossed a three-hitter and notched her first collegiate shutout, and Elizabeth Everingham drove in three runs to power Saint Louis to a 5-0 victory over Dayton Wednesday afternoon in game two of an Atlantic 10 Conference doubleheader at the Billiken Sports Center.
Dayton won the opener 6-2.
Baalman (6-3) struck out two, allowed three singles and walked just one. Two of the hits came with one out in the second inning, but the freshman right-hander got a fly ball and a popup to keep Dayton off the board. That was the only inning in which the Flyers (19-10, 4-1 A-10) had a runner advance to second base.
Saint Louis (18-10, 3-2 A-10) took a 1-0 lead on Alex Nickel's fourth home run of the season, which came with one out in the third inning. The Billikens failed to score after loading the bases in the fifth, but they erupted for four runs in the sixth to take command.
Emma Buckles started the rally with a two-out walk, and Josie Knesel beat out a dribbler to the pitcher for her third hit of the game. After Nickel walked to load the bases, Lindsay Friedman was hit by a pitch to make it 2-0. Everingham followed with a bases-clearing double to right-center for a 5-0 Billiken cushion.
Everingham added a single for a two-hit outing. Allie Macfarlane and Brianna Lore also singled.
In game one, the Billikens took a 1-0 lead in the second inning. Lore was hit by a pitch leading off, advanced to second on a passed ball and moved to third on a wild pitch. She scored when Buckles' ground ball was misplayed by the Dayton first baseman.
Dayton pulled even in the fourth before scoring five unearned runs in the sixth to take a 6-1 lead. SLU got one of the runs back in the bottom of the frame as Everingham drew a leadoff walk, took second on a ground ball and scored with two outs when the first baseman dropped a throw.
Buckles led off the seventh with the Bills' only hit of the game, a bunt single off reliever Manda Cash. Nickel walked with one out to make it interesting, but the threat ended there.
Dayton starter Kayla English pitched five hitless innings before yielding to Cash to begin the sixth.
Saint Louis returns to action at the Billiken Sports Center Saturday, March 28, hosting A-10 opponent George Mason in a doubleheader that begins at noon.
