ST. LOUIS – The University of Missouri-St. Louis softball team swept its doubleheader with Kentucky Wesleyan to extend its win streak to three on Sunday afternoon at Plummer Family Park in Edwardsville, Ill. The Tritons won the opener 7-4 and the nightcap 4-0. UMSL is 7-6 while the Panthers fall to 2-11.
Game 1 – UMSL 7 KWC 4
Each team scored a pair of runs in their first at-bats. Kentucky Wesleyan's two runs came on Chloe Apple's two-run triple to right center. The Tritons answered in the home half of the frame on
Jamie Widule's two-run single up the middle.
UMSL took the lead in the second as
Courtney Settles reached on a throwing error by the shortstop on a low throw to first.
Megan Russell read it and scored from second ahead of the tag.
The Panthers retook the lead in the third on a two-run home run to straight away center off the bat of Lexie Onyett.
The Tritons tied the game in the bottom of the inning as
Maddie Illingworth tripled to right center scoring Widule with the tying run. UMSL took the lead on
Rylie Buchanan's pinch hit three-run home run to right center in the bottom of the fifth.
KWC loaded the bases with two out in the sixth but
Ashley Ware struck out Cam Mann looking to end the inning. Ware allowed a two out single in the seventh but retired Kennedy Math on a fly out to left center to end the game.
The Tritons had 11 hits in the contest and were led by Widule and Illingworth with three hits apiece while Settles added two more. Ware picked up her second straight win tossing 4.2 scoreless innings out of the bullpen to even her record at 2-2. She gave up four hits while striking out three and walking two on 63 pitches.
Game 2 – UMSL 4 KWC 0
The second game was scoreless through two and half innings before UMSL broke through with three runs in the third. Widule drove in the first two runs with a double to right center scoring Settles and
May Pasqualini. Illingworth drove in
Simia Spahiev with the third run with a ground out to first.
The Tritons added an insurance run in the fourth as Pasqualini hit a sacrifice fly down the right field line scoring
Julia Sandles.
That was all the run support that
Ashley Borowitz needed as she threw a complete game four-hit shutout. She struck out five and walked two to improve her record to 4-2 on the season.
UMSL had nine hits in the contest and were led by Pasqualini and Settles with two each.
The Tritons are back at home on Saturday (March 8) hosting Southwest Baptist in the Great Lakes Valley Conference opener for both teams at 1:30 p.m. at the UMSL Softball Field.
