Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 St. Louis, Mo., March 21, 2015 – The No. 18-ranked Washington University in St. Louis softball team posted its fourth ranked win over a ranked team this season with a 5-2 victory over No. 14-ranked Augustana College in the opening game of the 2015 Mizuno Invitational Saturday in St. Louis. The Bears suffered a 9-6 loss in 12 innings to Buena Vista University in game two.
#18 Washington U. 5, #14 Augustana (Ill.) 2
Junior pitcher Annie Pitkin struck out the first seven batters of game one, and did not allow a hit until the fourth. She struck out a season-high 12 batters, and allowed four hits and two earned runs to improve to 11-2. Pitkin tossed her 28th career complete game, tied for sixth in school history with Lori Fehlker (2001-04).
Washington U. busted open the game in the third inning by scoring five runs on six hits. Sophomore Halle Steinberg led off the inning with a walk, and the moved to second on a sacrifice. After a single by senior Paige Biles, sophomore Kenzie James drove in the first run of the game with a bunt single.
With two outs in the third, the Bears put together a string of four-straight hits. Sophomore Hannah Mehrle drove in two with an RBI single up the middle, and then sophomore Janet Taylor double off the right field wall to make it 4-0. Junior Brooke Hofer followed with an RBI double down the left field line to drive in Taylor.
Augustana (10-1) chipped away with a run in the fourth and on a solo homerun by Emily Rasche to trim the WashU advantage to 5-2. The homerun for Rasche was her first of the season.
Biles was 3-for-4 with a run scored and a stolen base, while Caldwell went 2-for-3. The Bears had nine hits and stole three bases in the win.
Buena Vista 9, #18 Washington U. 6 - 12 innings
Senior Adrienne White gave Washington U. the lead in its first at-bat against Buena Vista as she drilled a pitch from Buena Vista starter Jenna Falline over the centerfield fence. The homerun for White was her team-leading eighth of the year and 14th of her career. White is now tied with Laura D'Andrea for 10th in school history in homeruns.
Freshman pitcher Mackenzie Gauden rolled through the first 4 1/3 innings allowing just two hits, but gave up a solo homerun to Haley Stevens in the fifth to tie the game. The HR allowed by Gauden was her first of the season. Gauden hit the next batter and then was replaced by freshman Maggie Clapp.
The game remained tied until the 10th inning when each team scored a run. Freshman Melinique Walls tied the contest with a sac fly to left for WashU.
In the top of the 11th, Buena Vista scored three runs on two hits off Pitkin to jump in front 5-2. WashU answered back to load the bases with two outs in the bottom half of the inning after a single by James and a walk by Mehrle. Taylor then cleared the bases with a double off the left field wall to tie the contest at 5-5.
Buena Vista (7-4) took the lead for good in the 12th inning scoring four runs on one hit, a three-run homerun by Marissa Schmitt. Steinberg drove in a run in the bottom of the 12th on a sac fly to round out the scoring.
Pitkin (11-3) took the loss in relief allowing four hits and eight runs (four earned) in five innings. Gauden pitched 4 1/3 innings allowing three hits and an earned run, while Clapp allowed just one hit in 2 2/3 innings. Wilson was 2-for-5 with a run scored for Washington U., who had nine hits in the loss.
Washington U. (17-5) concludes play in the Mizuno Invitational Sunday, March 22, against No. 14-ranked Augustana at Noon and No. 6-ranked Illinois Wesleyan University at 2 p.m.
BEAR NOTEBOOK: Head coach Leticia Pineda-Boutté recorded her 300th win at Washington U. in game one … White's 16-game hitting streak ended against Augustana … Mehrle extended her hitting streak to 14 straight with a hit in each game … White moved into sixth in school history in hits (176) and 10th in runs scored (109) … The Bears are 4-2 against ranked teams.
