ST. LOUIS – The University of Missouri-St. Louis softball team dropped both ends of its home opening doubleheader against Central Missouri on Tuesday afternoon at the UMSL Softball Field. The Tritons lost the opener 6-3 and the nightcap 2-1.
Game 1 – UCM 6 UMSL 3
The Jennies (15-16) jumped on top with a pair of runs in the top of the second. With two out and runners at second and third, Brooke Weimer singled to center field scoring Taylor Thompson and Abby Allnutt.
The Tritons (16-16) answered in their half of the second scoring three runs on four hits.
Katie Schaake tied the game with a one out double to left center scoring
Jamie Widule and
Gwyn Miller.
Megan Russell gave UMSL the lead lining a ball past a diving Allnutt in left to bring home Schaake. Russell advanced to third on a wild pitch but would be left stranded.
UCM retook the lead in the fourth. With two out, Laney Killpack singled to left to drive in Allnutt and later in the inning Killpack scored on Blackmon's double to left center.
The Tritons had a chance to tie the game in the fourth. With two out,
May Pasqualini walked, stole second and tried to score on
Maddie Snemis' single up the middle but was tagged out in a rundown trying to get back to third.
The Jens added two more runs in the fifth. Allnutt singled up the middle to bring in Hayden Serna as MaKenzie Cooper went to third. Cooper scored when
Courtney Settles tried to tag Allnutt out at first for the second out of the inning.
UMSL brought the tying run to the plate with two out in the bottom of the sixth but
Irene Travis grounded out to short to end the inning.
The Tritons had seven hits in game one and were led by Widule with two while Snemis, Settles, Miller, Schaake and Russell had one hit each.
Lexi Sherrick took the loss giving up four runs on seven hits with three strikeouts in four innings pitched.
Game 2 – UCM 2 UMSL 1
The nightcap was a pitcher's duel between UCM's Amanda Hansen and UMSL's
Ashley Borowitz.
The Jens jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the second on Thompson's solo home run to center field.
The Tritons tied the game in the sixth. With one out, Travis was hit by a pitch and scored on Settles double to right center. UMSL had a chance to take the lead but a pop out and a strikeout ended the inning.
UCM retook the lead in the seventh. Lexi Blackmon reached on a throwing error by
McKenzie Lamos and advanced to second on the error. She moved to third on Jadyn Sheffield's sacrifice bunt and scored on Serna's double to left center.
The Tritons got the tying run on base in their half of the seventh but couldn't bring her around.
UMSL had five hits in the nightcap and were led by Settles with two while Miller, Snemis and Lamos had one apiece. Schaake took the loss giving up the unearned run in the seventh to fall to 4-2 on the season.
The Tritons continue their six-game homestand this Friday (March 29) hosting UIndy in a doubleheader at UMSL Softball Field beginning at noon.
