ST. LOUIS – The University of Missouri-St. Louis softball team dropped a pair of one-run contests against Illinois Springfield on Friday at the UMSL Softball Field. The Tritons fell in the opener 5-4 and in the nightcap 4-3. UMSL is 23-13, 9-3 GLVC while the Prairie Stars are 24-15, 5-5 GLVC.
Game 1 – UIS 5 UMSL 4
UIS jumped out to the early lead in the opener with a pair of runs in the first inning. Kelsie Burrows drove in Taylor Zawacki with a two-out single to shallow left center and then Jillian Mathis scored on a wild pitch.
The Prairie Stars extended their lead with single tallies in the third, fifth and sixth innings. Isabella Wilson drove in Danielle Dennis with a single to right center in the third that made it 3-0. Zawacki scored her second run of the game in the fifth on a fielder's choice from Mathis.
Anna VanGundy tried to throw Zawacki out at the plate but the throw wasn't in time.
UIS scored its final run in the sixth. With runners at first and second and one out, Ramsey Armstrong hit a ground ball to second. VanGundy tried to get the force at second but her throw went into left field allowing Ashley Klinzing to score.
The Tritons took advantage of two Prairie Star errors in their half of the sixth to get back in the game. Back-to-back errors with one out allowed
Courtney Settles and
Corinne Daley to reach base.
Irene Travis drove in Settles with a double down the left field line and
Megan Brown followed with a double to left to bring home Daley and Travis.
UMSL drew closer in the seventh.
Jamie Widule led off the inning with a walk.
Rebecca Littrel singled down the left field line and the ball got past Zawacki and went to the fence allowing Widule to score and Littrel to wind up at third. The Tritons had three chances to tie the game but
McKenzie Lamos popped out, Settles lined out to third and Daley struck out swinging to end the game.
UMSL was held to five in the contests with Daley, Travis, Brown, Littrel and
Annie Scaramuzzi having one apiece.
Ashley Borowitz took the loss allowing three runs on six hits with a pair of strikeouts.
Game 2 – UIS 4 UMSL 3
UIS jumped on top in game two with an unearned run in the top of the first. Zawacki led off the game with a single to left center and went to second on an error by Widule. Zawacki scored on a throwing error by Scaramuzzi on a sacrifice bunt from Dennis. Scaramuzzi limited the damage to just one run by retiring three of the next four hitters.
The Tritons tied the game in the fourth as Lamos led off the inning with a solo home run to right center for her seventh roundtripper of the season.
The Prairie Stars regained the lead in the fifth as Klinzing scored on an error and Burrows drove in Zawacki with a two-out single through the left side of the infield.
UIS added an insurance run in the seventh on an infield single to short with the bases loaded and two out in the inning.
UMSL scored twice in the seventh as Settles drove in Littrel and Travis with a one out double down the right field line to make it 4-3. The Tritons had the tying run in scoring position but Brown flew out to right center and Lamos struck out swinging to end the game.
UMSL finished with 10 hits in the nightcap and were led by Travis and Lamos with two apiece. Scaramuzzi took the loss allowing three unearned runs on seven hits while striking out 10.
The Tritons return to the diamond on Saturday as they travel up to Romeoville, Ill., to take on Lewis in a doubleheader beginning at 12 p.m. at the Lewis Softball Field.
