UMSL’s McKenzie Lamos had three hits in Game 1 and smacked a three-run homer in Game 2 of the Tritons’ doubleheader sweep, Thursday evening, over Southwest Baptist. (Photo: Thomas Grove)
Nora Nichols
Staff Writer
NORMANDY, MO — The University of Missouri-St. Louis softball team extended its winning streak to five straight by sweeping a home doubleheader over Southwest Baptist, Thursday evening at the UMSL Softball Field.
The Tritons, who have now won seven of the their last eight and nine of their last 11, won both games over the Bearcats by shutout. Game 1 was an 8-0 victory in a five-inning, run-rule contest, and Game 2 was a 3-0 pitcher’s duel that came down to one big swing by one of UMSL’s biggest hitters.
Game 1 – UMSL 8, Southwest Baptist 0
| NCAA Softball | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southwest Baptist (19-27) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 |
| UMSL (25-24) | 0 | 4 | 3 | 1 | X | 8 | 12 | 1 |
WP: Ashley Borowitz – UMSL (13-13) LP: Paige Leithead – SBU (9-7)
The Tritons got out of a bases loaded one out jam in the second inning as Ashley Borowitz retired Grace Stearns on a foul out to Courtney Settles and struck out Rylee Lunn looking to end the inning.
UMSL took advantage of the missed opportunity scoring four runs on five hits and an error in the home half of the second. Katie Schaake hit a bases clearing double to left scoring Maddie Illingworth, Lexie Sherrick and Gwyn Miller. May Pasqualini brought home Schaake with a single to left center.
The Tritons added three more in the third. Illingworth doubled to right center scoring Settles and McKenzie Lamos to make it 6-0. Sherrick drove in Illingworth with a single up the middle for the final run of the frame.
Borowitz worked out of another bases loaded jam in the fourth retiring Lunn on a ground out to Irene Travis.
UMSL’s final run came in the fourth on Lamos’ two-out RBI double to right center that brought home Settles.
SBU kept battling putting runners at first and third with two out in the fifth but Borowitz retired Lexi Detweiler on a foul out to Pasqualini to end the game and preserve the shutout.
The Tritons finished with 12 hits in the contest as everyone in the lineup recorded at least one led by Lamos with three while Megan Russell added two. Borowitz evened her record at 13-13 giving up no runs on six hits with four strikeouts against one walk.
Game 2 – UMSL 3, Southwest Baptist 0
| NCAA Softball | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southwest Baptist (19-29) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| UMSL (26-24) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | X | 3 | 6 | 1 |
WP: Katie Schaake – UMSL (7-5) LP: Emma Kreisel – SBU (8-12)
The nightcap was scoreless until the fifth. Russell led off the inning with an infield single to short and Pasqualini followed with a bunt single back to the pitcher. Emma Kreisel retired the next two hitters with a strikeout and a pop out but couldn’t get out of the inning as Lamos lined a three-run home run to left for her seventh roundtripper of the season.
The Bearcats loaded the bases with one out in the seventh and had the go-ahead run at the plate. Schaake got out of the jam retiring Hayley Sites on strikes and got Alyssa Reed to ground out to Miller to end the game.
UMSL had six hits in the contest and were led by Russell with two while Pasqualini, Lamos, Illingworth and Miller had one hit each. Schaake pitched a complete-game three-hit shutout for the first shutout of her collegiate career and matched her season-low of three hits allowed to improve to 7-5. She also matched her season-high of eight strikeouts.
The Tritons (26-24, 13-11) wrap up the regular season hosting Drury in a doubleheader on Saturday afternoon starting at noon at the UMSL Softball Field.