Washington U. Softball Gets Past Rhodes, Transy to Remain Undefeated
RHODES BOX | TRANSY BOX
Memphis, Tenn., February 24, 2013 – The Washington University in St. Louis softball team picked up a pair of victories over Rhodes College (13-7) and Transylvania University (7-2) Sunday at the Rhodes College Lynx Classic in Memphis to remain undefeated in the 2013 season.
Washington U. 13, Rhodes 7
The Bears jumped all over Rhodes in their first at-bat scoring three runs on three hits. Junior Kelsey Neal got things going with an RBI double scoring senior Ashley Janssen, while freshman Brooke Hofer drove in two runs with a two-out single to make it 3-0. Washington U. added two more runs in the top of the third after an RBI double by junior Stacy Berg and an RBI by sophomore Paige Biles.
Hofer made it through the first two innings without allowing a hit, but got in some trouble in the third. With runners at second and third with two outs, Makenzie Martin doubled driving in two runs to make it 5-2.
Washington U. tacked on four runs in the fourth, highlighted by Hofer’s two-RBI single, to push the lead to 9-2. A bases clearing double by Berg in the fifth pushed the lead to 12-2, but Rhodes would not go away. The Tigers scored four runs off Neal in the bottom of the fifth in relief
Hofer picked up her first career victory in 6 2/3 innings pitched, allowing six hits and three earned runs. Berg was 3-for-5 with a career-high five RBIs, while Neal was 3-for-5 with two runs scored and Hofer was 2-for-5 with four RBIs. Senior Sondra Polonsky was 1-for-2 with four runs scored, tying a single-game school record.
Washington U. 7, Transylvania 2
The Bears had a season-high 16 hits in the game-two victory over the Pioneers. Janssen led the way from her leadoff spot going 4-for-5 with three runs scored, while junior Maggie Mullen and Hofer added three hits apiece. Neal was 1-for-5 with three RBIs, and had a two-run homerun in the top of the sixth.
An RBI double by sophomore Adrienne White and an RBI by Neal gave Washington U. a 2-1 lead after an inning of play. The Pioneers tied the contest with an unearned run in the third, but an RBI by Hoer in the fifth gave the Bears the lead for good at 3-2. A two-run home run by Neal in the sixth pushed the advantage to 5-2, and then Polonsky drove in two in the top of the seventh to round out the scoring.
Freshman pitcher Amanda Kalupa made her first collegiate start, allowing two hits and one earned run in two innings pitched. Freshman Annie Pitkin (2-0) picked up the win in relief allowing four hits with nine strikeouts.
Hofer (9-for-14, .643, six RBIs), Janssen (9-for-17, .529,) and Neal (8-for-16, .500, three homeruns, nine RBIs) all batted above .500 during the four-game tournament. As a team, Washington U. hit .373 with nine doubles and 37 RBIs. Pitkin led the way on the mound with a 2-0 record with 12 strikeouts and did not allow a run in eight innings pitched.
Washington U. (4-0) returns to action with four games at the Hendrix College Warrior Spring Fling Saturday-Sunday, March 2-3, in Conway, Ark. The Bears take on the host Hendrix Saturday at 10 a.m., followed by a 2 p.m. contest with Austin College.
Bear Notebook: The Bears are 4-0 for the second-straight year and eighth time in school history. … Neal is one home run shy of cracking the top-10 on the Washington U. all-time list … Eighth-year head coach Leticia Pineda-Boutté recorded her 225th victory at WUSTL Sunday vs. Transy … Janssen’s stolen base in game two moved her into a tie for seventh place on the WUSTL all-time list (25).