ST. LOUIS, Mo. – The No. 4 Washington University in St. Louis softball team split with Central on Saturday afternoon a non-conference doubleheader. The Bears are now 26-4-1 heading into the final weekend of UAA play next weekend.
Game 1: Central 4, WashU 1
Central came out to score four runs in the top of the first inning. Rylee Dunkin led off with a double to left center and Sarah Stufflebeam drew a walk. Hannah Higgins reached base on an error, scoring both Dunkin and Miller for a 2-0 lead. Addi Starr doubled to left center, bringing in Stufflebeam and Higgins to go up 4-0.
The Bears posted a run in the bottom of the second, starting with a walk from first-year
Emmy May. Senior
Alexa Hanish singled to right field and junior
Kristina Donaldson reached on a fielder's choice, scoring May to make it a 4-1 game.
May Finished 1-for-2 with one run scored while junior
Kennedy Grippo was 1-for-2.
First-year
Ava Peterson took the loss in the circle, pitching 0.1 innings with four runs (one earned).
Game 2: WashU 3, Central 2
WashU took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning. With two outs, Hanish singled up the middle and advanced on a passed ball. Junior
Julia Nicholus, Grippo and first-year
Katie Dolin drew three-straight walks, scoring Hanish for the first run of the game.
In the bottom of the third inning senior
Sydney Schneider singled up the middle. May singled through the left side and Schneider moved to third on a fly out from junior
Elena Locascio. May stole second and Schneider stole home for the 2-0 lead.
Central tied it up in the top of the fifth inning, starting with a lead-off double from Starr. Maddy Shannon, who came on to run for Starr, advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on a Jadyn Huisman fielder's choice. Ali Henry singled to third base and Ayla Hall, who came on to run for Huisman, scored on an error to make it 2-2.
First-year
Julia Sullo led off the bottom of the inning with a single to left center and stole second. Schneider grounded out to short to move Sullo to third and sophomore
Harper Nix hit a sacrifice fly to center, giving WashU a 3-2 edge.
Sullo, Schneider and Hanish all finished 1-for-3 with one run scored. May also went 1-for- 3.
First-year
Jessi Szafoni earned the win in the circle, pitching a complete game with one earned run and three strikeouts. She is now 7-2 on the season.
The Bears wrap up the regular season next weekend at Emory, which will determine the winner of the UAA.
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