Softball Splits Doubleheader With NCAA Division II Maryville

BOX 1 | BOX 2

St. Louis, Mo., April 6, 2011 – The Washington University in St. Louis softball team split a double header with NCAA Division II Maryville University on Wednesday, April 6, at the WU Softball Field in St. Louis, Mo. The Bears won the first game 7-5, and suffered a 5-2 defeat in the nightcap.

The Bears offense was clicking in the first game, knocking in four runs in the first two innings against Maryville starting pitcher Julie Jouglard. The first came off the bat of freshman Maggie Mullen in the bottom of the first, a two-run home run with one out. The home run for Mullen was her team-leading sixth of the season.

In the bottom of the second, the Bears tagged back-to-back solo homeruns, the first to left field from junior Corissa Santos, and the second to deep right from senior Ally Berenter, pushing the lead to 4-0.

Maryville’s Kelsey Kapitzke quelled the Bears’ hot bats, allowing just three hits and striking out two through the next four innings. But the Bears added two more runs in the bottom of the sixth. Sophomore Alex Fjeldheim drove in a run with an RBI single, and then with two outs, Santos stepped up and drilled a two-run homerun, her second of the game, making it 7-1.

The Saints attempted a late comeback by scoring four unearned runs in the top of the seventh off of four errors by Washington University, but senior pitcher Claire Voris stopped the rally by catching a pop-up to end the game. Voris (8-3) picked up the win for the Bears allowing eight hits in seven innings, tossing a shutout through five innings with three strikeouts. She also had three consecutive 1-2-3 innings, and retired 10-straight Saints at one point.

The Bears finished with 11 hits, including a season-high four home runs, and only two left on base. Santos went 3-for-3 with two home runs and three RBIs, moving into 10th on the all-time list with 11 round trippers. Mullen was 2-for-3 with two RBIs and two runs scored, while Voris and Berenter added two hits apiece.

Maryville (9-21) scored an unearned run in the first inning of game two, but the Bears responded in the bottom half of the inning on a two RBI double by sophomore Sondra Polonsky. The Bears remained scoreless for the rest of the game.

Washington U. junior starting pitcher Olivia Cook allowed five runs, including three earned, in seven innings pitched in game two. Cook kept the Saints scoreless in the fifth and sixth innings after getting into some early trouble. In the fifth, the Saints had runners on second and third base with no outs, but Cook pitched herself out of the inning with a pop out and two strikeouts. Maryville got two runners on base again in the sixth, but Cook got out of it with two pop outs.

The Bears were limited to two runs on five hits and committed three errors, while Maryville recorded 12 hits and did not commit an error. Cook took the loss for the Bears, dropping her season record to 7-3.

Washington University (20-7-1) returns to action on Saturday, April 9, with a pair of games at the Illinois Wesleyan Tournament in Bloomington, Ill. The Bears take on the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh at Noon and No. 21 ranked Illinois Wesleyan at 4 p.m.

Bear Notebook: Berenter’s homerun in the first game was the 13th of her career, seventh most in school history … The Bears have won 20 or more games in all 12 seasons as a varsity program.