ST. LOUIS, MO. – Junior
Serena Olson delivered a walk off two-run home run to right center to help the University of Missouri-St. Louis softball team to a 7-5 win over McKendree in the night cap of the Great Lakes Valley Conference opening doubleheader on Saturday. The Bearcats took game one, 10-2, in six innings.
Records: UMSL (14-10, 1-1 GLVC), McKendree (14-5, 1-1 GLVC)
Game 1: McKendree 10, UMSL 2 (6 inn.)
McKendree struck for five runs in the second, which included a leadoff home run. The Bearcats took advantage of three walks and a hit by pitch, while recording just three hits in that frame.
The Bearcats scored two more before UMSL strung together three hits in the bottom of the fourth to help get its first runs across the plate. Junior
Chelsea Martinez doubled with one out and was brought home on a double from senior
Jennah Perryman, while sophomore
Andee Tiffee scored Perryman with her single that snuck past the first baseman.
McKendree out-hit UMSL, 11-6, and also took advantage of five walks and four hit-by-pitches.
Junior
Reagan Osborn had two hits for the Tritons, including a double.
Game 2: UMSL 7, McKendree
Olson's long ball, which was her 11
th of the season, came after the Bearcats tied the game at 5-5 in the top of the seventh with a three-run homer.
UMSL equaled its game one output in hits in the first inning of the nightcap with six, jumping out to a quick 5-0 lead. The Tritons batted through the order and got two-run singles from Perryman and junior
Madi Sundling. However, McKendree would score five unanswered before Olson's heroics.
Olson finished with two hits, while Miller added two hits and scored two runs. She got one base with an infield single before Olson's at bat. Junior
Chelsea Martinez also tallied two hits for the Tritons, which finished with 10 off of McKendree ace Miranda Gajewski, who was tagged for her first loss of the season (8-1).
Tiffee improved to 7-3 in the circle, scattering eight hits, while striking out five.
Up Next: UMSL will host Wisconsin-Parkside and Indianapolis next Saturday and Sunday, respectively, in GLVC play.
