ST. LOUIS -- The University of Missouri-St. Louis softball team got a big day at the plate from senior first baseman
Kaytie Kossina as she hit .857 with five runs batted in and four runs scored in the doubleheader of sweep of Lincoln on Sunday afternoon at the UMSL Softball Field. The Tritons improve to 13-15, 6-2 GLVC while the Blue Tigers drop to 10-9, 2-4 GLVC.
Game 1: UMSL 10, Lincoln 0 (5 innings)
It was a four run first inning for UMSL.
Jamie Widule reached on a fielder's choice before Kossina singled to left field, advancing the runner.
Kiley Sullivan singled to right field, loading the bases before
Phoebe Miller singled to center to bring home two runs.
Gracie Philpot singled to left field to reload the bases for the Tritons before
Kenzie Stoltz singled to the short stop, scoring Sullivan.
Madison Rozanski brought home the final UMSL run of the frame with a single to right field that scored Sullivan from third.
After the first two runners reached in the third inning, Stoltz hit a single to center field to bring home Philpot and Miller making the score 6-0 Tritons.
The Tritons loaded the bases in the fifth inning with
Keira Hayton reaching on an error by the third baseman before Widule doubled to right center and Kossina walked. Sullivan stepped up to the plate and hit a grand slam down the right field line to end the game with a run-rule victory.
UMSL matched its season-high with 16 hits in the contest and was led by Kossina and Philpot with three hits each while Sullivan, Miller and Rozanski had two hits apiece.
Ashley Borowitz picked up the win, pitching five complete innings and struck out seven to move to 4-5 on the season.
Game 2: UMSL 8, Lincoln 4
Once again, the Tritons scored early.
May Pasqualini walked before advancing to third on a Widule sacrifice bunt and a Kossina single to right center.
Rylie Buchanan doubled to left field, bringing home Pasqualini. Philpot followed with a single to left field to bring Kossina home and make it 2-0.
TK Lawson brought a run back for Lincoln with a solo home run to center in the top of the second.
UMSL responded with another Kossina single that brought home Pasqualini from second and Rozanski from third to give UMSL a three-run lead.
The Blue Tigers chipped away at the lead adding a run in the third inning when Ann-Marie Simpson walked, stole second, found her way to third on a ground out, and then scored on a sacrifice fly from Faith Jaegers.
Lincoln added another run in the fourth when Ella Percival singled to center field to bring home Josie Bezzole. The Blue Tigers loaded the bases with no one out in the fifth but couldn't score as a ground out, a strike out and a pop out ended the inning.
Lincoln tied the game with a two-out single to center off the bat of Gracie Wright scoring Ella Percival from second.
The Tritons answered with a four-run sixth inning. Kossina capped her big day lining a 1-0 pitch into the right center gap with the bases loaded for a three-run double. Sullivan traded places with Kossina as she doubled off the bottom of the fence in center to make it 8-4.
UMSL had 10 hits in the second game and were led by Kossina with three while Widule added two more. Kossina had five RBIs in the contest while Sullivan, Buchanan and Philpot had one apiece.
Borowitz pitched the final 2.2 innings to earn her second victory of the afternoon and improve to 5-5 on the season.. She gave up one run on three hits and struck out three strikeouts in her outing.
The Tritons conclude their six-game homestand next Sunday (March 29) hosting Maryville at noon at the UMSL Softball Field.
