SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – The University of Missouri-St. Louis softball team ran its winning streak to three and won for the fifth time in six games with its doubleheader sweep at Illinois Springfield on Sunday (April 12) afternoon at the UIS Softball Complex in Springfield, Ill. The Tritons won the opener 1-0 and the second game 6-5.
Game 1 – UMSL 1 UIS 0
UMSL (19-17, 12-4 GLVC) got a brilliant pitching performance from
Ashley Borowitz in the first game. The right-hander threw a complete game two-hit shut out in the contest with three walks strikeouts against a walk to improve to 6-5 on the season. Borowitz threw 80 pitches in her masterpiece.
The Tritons lone run of the contest came in the third inning. With one out,
Madison Rozanski and
May Pasqualini hit back-to-back singles. With two away,
Kaytie Kossina reached on an error by the first baseman allowing Pasqualini to cross the plate.
Borowitz yielded just two singles in the contest and UIS (27-13, 11-7 GLVC) only had two runners reach scoring position in the contest. The Prairie Stars had the tying and go-ahead runs on second and third with two out in the third but Borowitz retired Bailey Masching on a pop out to Rozanski to end the inning.
UMSL had six hits in the opener and was led by Pasqualini and Rozanski with two apiece while
Jamie Widule and
Kenzie Stoltz accounted for the other two.
Game 2 – UMSL 6 UIS 5
The Tritons carried the momentum into game two jumping out to a 4-0 lead in the top of the first in the night cap.
Kiley Sullivan drove in the first run with a sacrifice fly to right scoring Pasqualini. Stoltz brought home Widule with a single and then
Phoebe Miller doubled scoring Stoltz.
Simia Spahiev capped the inning with an RBI single to right.
UIS got on the board in the second as Rachel McMullend singled home Calista Stahihut to cut the deficit to three runs. The Prairie Stars got two more in the third as Rosie Bartletti led off the inning with a triple and scored on a double steal of second and home with Rebecca Neupauer. Neupauer came around to score on a squeeze play to make it a one-run affair.
UMSL regained its three-run cushion thanks to a two-out rally in the fourth.
Gracie Philpot started it with a single, stole second and went to third on a ground out. Pasqualini singled to right to score Philpot and then Widule doubled to bring home Pasqualini with the Tritons final run of the contest.
UIS wouldn't go quietly scoring twice in the fifth on RBI singles from Koral Keehner and Stahihut. The Prairie Stars still had two one with nobody out when Stoltz entered the game. She struck the first two hitters out but walked McMullen to load the bases. Stoltz got out of the inning inducing Hailey Niebruegge to ground into a force out at second to end the frame.
UIS threatened again in the sixth putting runners at second and third with one out but Stoltz retired Keehner on a fielder's choice at second and got Stahihut to fly out to right to end the inning.
Stoltz worked a perfect seventh getting two strikeouts and a pop out to earn her second save of the season.
UMSL finished with 10 hits in the contest and was led by Miller with three while Widule and Stoltz added two apiece.
Ashley Ware got the win in the circle pitching two innings in relief giving up three runs on five hits with a walk and a strikeout to improve to 6-2 on the season.
The Tritons begin a six-game home stand on Saturday (April 18) hosting seventh ranked UIndy in a doubleheader at the UMSL Softball Field starting at noon.
