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Altamonte Springs, Fla., March 10, 2015 – The Washington University in St. Louis softball team split a pair of games on the first day of the 2015 University Athletic Association (UAA) Championship tournament Tuesday at the Seminole County Softball Complex in Altamonte Springs, Fla.
Washington U. exploded out to big leads in both games and held on for an 8-5 win over Case Western Reserve in game one, before squandering a five-run lead in a 6-5 loss to No. 9-ranked University of Rochester in the second game.
Washington U. 8, Case Western Reserve 5
The Bears jumped on Case starter Annie Wennberberg with three runs on three hits in the second and took advantage of an error. Senior Sydney Caldwell drove in the first run with a double to right center, and then after a walk by Halle Steinberg, senior Alyssa Wilson had an RBI single to center. Senior Paige Biles pushed the advantage to 3-0 with an RBI single to center.
Washington U. added five runs on five hits in the fourth inning to push the advantage to 8-0. Mehrle had an RBI double and sophomore
Janet Taylor followed with an RBI single for the first two runs of the inning, and then after two walks, Wilson singled to center to drive in two more runs. Biles added an RBI single with two outs to push across the eighth run of the game for the Bears.
Pitkin was in control on the mound through three innings, but a sloppy fourth inning by the Bears led to five runs (one earned) to cut the lead to 8-5. Case took advantage of three errors by Washington U.
Wilson went 2-for-3 and tied a career-high with three RBIs, while Biles went 2-for-4 with a season-high two RBIs. Pitkin (6-1) allowed a season-high eight hits and five runs (one earned) with seven strikeouts. The Bears also made a season-high three errors in the win.
#9 Rochester 6, Washington U. 5
Washington U. scored five runs on six hits in the first two innings against Rochester, who advanced to the NCAA Division III College World Series a year ago. The Bears scored three runs on four hits in their first at-bat. Taylor's two-RBI double to right scored two runs, and then senior
Sydney Caldwell singled to left to make it 3-0.
In the second inning, Biles reached on a bunt single and then came around to score on a homerun by senior Adrienne White. The homerun for White was her fourth in the last six games and 10th of her career.
Freshman pitcher Maggie Clapp was in control through the first four innings, allowing just one hit. Clapp retired 12-straight batters after a leadoff single in the top of the first. Leading 5-0 in the fifth, Rochester's Eleni Wechler connected on a three-run homerun off Clapp to cut the advantage to 5-3.
It remained a two-run game heading into the top of the seventh when Clapp allowed the first three runners to each on an error, hit-by-pitch, and an infield single. Freshman Mackenzie Gauden relieved Clapp and allowed a sac fly to trim the lead to 5-4. After she recorded the second out of the inning, Kayla Kibling singled to right to tie the contest. Pinch-hitter Sarah Wayson then gave Rochester the lead for good with an infield single to make it 6-5.
Biles went 2-for-4 with two runs scored and two stolen bases, while White was 2-for-4 with a homerun and two RBIs. Washington U. had eight hits in the loss, but was limited to just two in the final five innings of play. Clapp took the loss allowing four hits and six runs (three earned) in six innings pitched, while Gauden tossed an inning allowing two hits.
Washington U. (9-3, 1-1 UAA) continues play in the UAA Championship Tournament on Wednesday, March 11, with a pair of games against No.-16 ranked Emory University at 10 a.m. (ET) and New York University at 1 p.m. (ET).
BEAR NOTEBOOK: White upped her career total to 98 RBIs, just two shy of 100 … White has also hit safely in eight-straight and reached base in 10-consecutive games … The Bears had six stolen bases in game two, second most this season.
