The Washington University women’s softball team improved its season record to 28-10, by winning three of four games over Emory University over the weekend. (Photo courtesy: Wash. U. Athletics)
DeMarcus Dixon
Staff Writer
The Washington University women’s softball team enjoyed another winning weekend, this past Friday and Saturday, when it won its third straight series, by claiming three of four games against visiting Emory University.
The Bears swept a doubleheader from the Eagles on Friday, by scores of 6-2 and 8-0. Then the two clubs split a doubleheader on Saturday, with Wash. U. winning the first game 7-1, and Emory taking the series finale, 4-2.
Centerfielder Maggie Baumstark and designated player Erin Reardon were the hitting stars of the day for the Bears on Friday. Baumstark had two hits in Game 1, including her fifth home run of the season, in the top of the first inning to spark her club, while Reardon went five-for-six at the plate in the two games, with a double, an RBI, a stolen base, and three runs scored.
Starting pitchers Holly Stoner (9-4) and Jamie Burgasser (7-3) got the two wins, while reliever Jordan Rossi picked up her second save of the season by tossing the final three innings of Game 1. Burgasser got a complete game shutout, by going five innings and allowing just two hits in Game 2.
On Saturday, Wash. U. began the day the same way it did on Friday, with several players coming up with big hits. In fact, five different Bear players had at least two hits, led by Reardon, whose two hits were both doubles, which led to three RBIs and another run scored.
Katie Gould, Tami Wong, Natalia Pilpil, and Emir Cunningham were the other players with two hits in the opener. Wong and Pilpil both scored two runs, and teammate Kirsten Drabek added two RBIs.
In the pitching circle, Madison Denton (10-2) went all seven innings to get the complete game win. She did so by allowing just one run on four hits, with two strikeouts and no walks.
The series finale was the one game all weekend where the Bears were outplayed. Emory got a complete game from its ace starter, Mattie Ryan, who managed to hold the Bears to just five hits.
The Eagles got two clutch base hits, both two-run singles, to get its four runs. Wash. U. answered with an RBI single by Baumstark in the third inning, and a solo homer by Kristen Nommensen in the bottom of the seventh. But it wasn’t enough, as Emory ended Wash. U.’s winning streak at three in a row.
Still, this month the Bears are 12-6, and have a 28-10 overall record. Wash. U. will finish the season with a 14-6 record UAA league play, which puts them in second place, behind Case Western Reserve, which claimed the conference regular season title by sweeping four in a row over Carnegie Mellon this past weekend.
The Bears will close out their regular season with a home doubleheader, next Saturday, against Fontbonne University. Those games are scheduled to begin at the Wash. U. Softball Field at noon and 2 p.m.