GAME RESULT
Saint Louis 5, Southern Mississippi 4
Black & Gold Invitational
Sunday, Feb. 9, 2020
Hattiesburg, Miss.
 
THE BASICS
• Saint Louis rallied for three runs in the bottom of the seventh inning and defeated host team Southern Mississippi 5-4 Sunday on the final day of the Black & Gold Invitational.
• Freshman Kayla Swiderski delivered the game-winning hit, notching her first RBI as a Billiken.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
• Southern Miss loaded the bases with one out in the top of the first, but SLU starting pitcher Chloe Wendling induced an inning-ending double play.
• Although the Golden Eagles went in front with a run in the top of the third, Wendling worked out of another bases-loaded jam.
• The Billikens pulled even in their half of the third on Kelsey Etling's bases-loaded walk.
• Southern Miss took a 4-1 lead by scoring three times in the fifth, but reliever Aubrey Hacke came on and halted the rally.
• Etling brought Saint Louis closer with a leadoff home run in the sixth, her first collegiate round-tripper.
• In SLU's three-run seventh, Alyssa Chavez drove in the first run with a ground ball that the third baseman mishandled; the tying run also scored on the play.
• Two batters later, Swiderski followed with the decisive run-scoring single.
 
BILLIKEN NOTABLES
• Hacke earned the win with 2 1/3 innings of no-hit shutout relief.
• Kat Lane and Sadie Wise collected two hits apiece.
• Gabbie Kowalik and Maria Connell each had a single.
• Etling walked twice in addition to her home run.
 
UP NEXT
The Billikens travel to San Marcos, Texas, for Texas State's Bobcat Classic Friday-Sunday, Feb. 14-16. SLU faces Texas State and Texas-San Antonio twice each in addition to a single meeting with Wichita State.