BENTONVILLE, Ark. – The University of Missouri-St. Louis softball team split its two games at the Alvy Early Memorial Classic at Memorial Park in Bentonville, Ark., on Friday. The Tritons (2-4) dropped the first game to Northeastern State 12-4 in six innings and won the second game 8-0 in five innings over Arkansas-Monticello.
Game 2 – UMSL 8 UAM 0 5 innings
After being retired in order in the first, UMSL sent 12 batters to the plate in the second scoring seven runs on four hits and drew four walks plus a hit by a pitch.
Simia Spahiev put the Tritons in front hitting a grand slam to left center to make it 4-0. Later in the inning,
Jamie Widule dropped a single into right center scoring
Phoebe Miller and
May Pasqualini to extend the lead to 6-0. The final run scored on an infield single that was deflected by the pitcher off the bat of
Courtney Settles that brought home
Maddie Illingworth.
UMSL's final run came in the fifth on
Rylie Buchanan's solo home run to center with one out in the frame.
That was all the run support that
Ashley Borowitz needed as she held the Cotton Blossoms (4-2) to a lead-off single to start the game and wouldn't allow another hit in the contest. She went the distance striking out seven and walking two to improve to 2-1 on the year.
Spahiev led the offensive attack with two hits while Illingworth, Widule, Settles, Buchanan and
Julia Sandles had one hit each.
Game 1 – NSU 12 UMSL 4 6 innings
UMSL fell behind early in the first game of the day giving up a run on two hits in the first. Olivia Brown hit a one out triple to right and scored on Madison Nance's two-out double to left center.
The Riverhawks (2-3) sent nine batters to the plate in the second scoring five runs on five hits and an error.
The Tritons got a run back in their half of the second. Widule led off the inning with a walk and scored on Illingworth's triple into the right field corner.
NSU got that run back in the third as Sandles tried to take a hit away from Brynn Burchfield but couldn't come up with the diving catch in center allowing Raegan Moore to score.
Illingworth continued swinging a hot bat lining a two-run home run over the fence in center int he fourth to cut the lead to 7-3. UMSL crept closer in the fifth as Illingworth came through again hitting a double to right center scoring Widule. Illingworth finished a single shy of the cycle in the game.
The Riverhawks sent nine more batters to the plate in the sixth scoring five runs highlighted by Madison Heinle's grand slam to center.
The Tritons had nine hits in the opener and were led by Illingworth with three while Widule and Sandles added two apiece.
Lexi Sherrick took the loss allowing five runs on six hits with a pair of strikeouts in an inning-plus pitched to fall to 1-1 on the season
UMSL returns to the diamond for two more on Saturday taking on Harding at 11 a.m. and Washburn at 1:30 p.m.
