No. 24 Softball Celebrates Senior Day With Sweep of Monmouth
GAME 1 | GAME 2 | VIDEO | PHOTO
St. Louis, Mo., April 21, 2012 – The No. 24 ranked Washington University in St. Louis softball team celebrated Senior Day with a sweep of Monmouth College on Saturday afternoon at the WU Softball Field in St. Louis. The Bears had eight hits in a 5-2 victory in game one, and then sophomore Kelsey Neal tossed a three-hit shutout in a 1-0 win in the nightcap.
Prior the doubleheader with Monmouth, Washington U. honored its four seniors who are playing their final season with the Red and Green: Alyssa Abramoski, Olivia Cook, Rebecca Salisbury and Corissa Santos. As a group, the four seniors have helped lead Washington U. a 121-47-1 overall (.719), the 2009 University Athletic Association Championship (UAA) and three NCAA Tournament appearances.
Washington U. also hosted the Bear Ball Beats Cancer event during its doubleheader against Monmouth. Washington U. and Monmouth combined efforts to help raise cancer awareness with each team donning commemorative warm-up t-shirts. The event raised over $1,000.
#24 Washington U. 5, Monmouth 2 – Game One
After not recording an extra-base hit in a split against Millikin on Thursday, the Bears scored three runs on three extra-base hits in the first inning of game one against Monmouth. Sophomore Maggie Mullen, junior Sondra Polonsky and Santos each had an RBI double for Washington U. in the first. The double for Santos was the 47th of her career.
Monmouth (13-12) chipped away with a run in the third off Olivia Cook, but Washington U. answered back with two runs in the fourth to make it 5-1. Freshman pinch-runner Paige Biles scored on a wild pitch for the first run of the inning after Polonsky reached on an error, and then junior Ashley Janssen pushed across another run with an RBI bunt.
Cook (13-6) allowed five hits and two earned runs en route to her 13th complete game of the year and 41st of her career. That moves her past Victory Ramsey (2002-05) into sole possession of third place on the all-time complete games list. The victory was also the 43rd of her career, three shy of fourth place. Freshman Alyssa Wilson had a pair of hits in the win for Washington U., its ninth victory in the last 10 games.
#24 Washington U. 1, Monmouth 0 – Game Two
Neal and Alyssa Edler were locked in a pitcher’s dual in game two. Edler allowed just three hits in four innings pitched before giving way to Skyler Johnson in the fifth. Johnson allowed one base runner in the fifth inning, but got in trouble in the sixth.
Polonsky doubled to right center with one out, and was pinch-ran for by Biles. After freshman Adrienne White reached on an error by the let fielder pushing Biles to third. She came around to score the game-winning run for a squeeze bunt by sophomore Stacy Berg. The sacrifice bunt was the first of the season for Berg.
Neal (9-4) tossed her second complete game in the last week allowing three runs while striking out two. Johnson (1-2) took the loss for Monmouth allowing one hit and one unearned run in two innings pitched. The Bears were limited to five hits in game two.
Washington University (25-11) returns to action on Sunday, April 22, at Blackburn College. Game one is set to begin at 1 p.m. in Carlinville, Ill. Live stats will be available at: http://bearsports-livestats.wustl.edu/Softball/xlive.htm.
Bear Notebook: Abramoski and Santos each played in their 165th game, tied for fifth most in school history … Abramoski had a pair of hits in the doubleheader to up her career total to 167, tied for sixth all-time … Game two marked the 1,0000th game played in the history of the Monmouth softball program … Janssen’s stolen base in game two was the 23rd of her career, tying her for eighth in school history … Washington U. has recorded 25 or more wins in 10-straight seasons.