Bats Silent as No. 24 Softball Splits Doubleheader With Millikin
BOX 1 | BOX 2
St. Louis, Mo., April 19, 2012 – Fresh off an appearance in the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Top-25 Poll, the No. 24 ranked Washington University in St. Louis softball team was limited to eight hits in a doubleheader split at home with Millikin University on Thursday afternoon.
Senior Olivia Cook tossed a complete game and the Bears had seven hits in a 3-1 victory in game one, but were limited to one base hit in a 5-0 loss in game two. Washington U., who scored 60 runs and hit .429 the past six games, was held without an extra-base hit in the doubleheader.
#24 Washington U. 3, Millikin 1 – Game One
The Bears scored a run in the first inning taking advantage of two hits and a pair of walks. Junior Sondra Polonsky drove in the lone run in the inning with a groundout to third. Washington U. loaded the bases with two outs in its first at-bat, but Millikin starting pitcher retired Whitney Scharfman struck out Cook to end the threat.
Millikin tied it up with an unearned run in the fourth, and the score would remain tied until the fifth. Sophomore Maggie Mullen led the off the inning with a single to left, and then moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by senior Alyssa Abramoski. Junior Ashley Janssen reached on a bunt single to move Mullen over to third.
Janssen stole second on the ensuing pitch and the throw to second sailed into centerfield allowing Mullen to score. Janssen would move over to third and then score on a throwing error by centerfielder Cora Jeffers. Cook got out of a second and third jam with the winning run at the plate in the top of the seventh, getting Tessa Strang to foul out to end the game.
Cook (12-6) allowed eight hits and one unearned run as she tossed her 40th complete game of her career, tied for fourth most in school history. She also appeared in her 87th game in the Red and Green, also tied for fourth most at Washington U.
Millikin 5, #24 Washington U. 0 – Game Two
Millikin (16-14) jumped out in front 2-0 with a run in the first and the third inning. The run in the first was unearned after Cora Jeffers scored on an error by Polonsky. She would come around to score again in the third after an RBI double by Tess Strang.
The Big Blue added three more runs off WUSTL sophomore starting pitcher Kelsey Neal in the seventh. Pinch runner Jess Oller scored on a wild pitch for the first run of the inning, and then Scharfman singled home two insurance runs with two outs.
Washington U. was held hitless against Lauren Kitterman through the first 6 2/3 innings. Neal broke up the no-hitter with a single up the middle that deflected off the ankle of Kitterman. She struck out four and did not walk a batter as she improved to 9-5. Millikin had eight hits in the game two victory, and 16 in the doubleheader split.
Jeffers was 2-for-4 in game one for Millikin, and 2-for-2 with three runs scored in the second game. She was on base in seven of her eight plate appearances in the doubleheader. Neal (8-4) allowed five hits and five runs (four earned) with four strikeouts in the defeat for Washington U.
Washington University (24-10) celebrates Senior Day on Saturday, April 21, with a doubleheader at home against Monmouth College. Game one is set to begin at Noon. Prior to the game, Washington U. will honor its four seniors: Abramoski, Cook, Rebecca Salisbury and Corissa Santos.
Washington U. will also be hosting the Bear Ball Beats Cancer event during its doubleheader against Monmouth on Saturday. Washington U. and Monmouth will combine efforts to help raise cancer awareness with each team donning commemorative warm-up t-shirts prior to Saturday’s doubleheader. T-shirts will be sold throughout the games, along with a bake sale and silent auction.
Bear Notebook: Washington U. is ranked No. 6 in the NCAA Midwest Regional Rankings … Abramoski and Santos each played their 163rd career game, tied for fifth most in school history … Abramoski scored the 123rd run of her career in game one, six shy of tying the school record … Santos’ walk in game one improved her career-leading total to 62.