ST. LOUIS – Brianna Lore struck out a season-high 11 batters and recorded her first collegiate shutout, and five different players tallied at least one RBI in Saint Louis' 6-0 win over La Salle Sunday at the Billiken Sports Center, giving the Bills a sweep of an Atlantic 10 Conference doubleheader.
In the opener, SLU scored five runs in the sixth inning – four of which came with two outs – to overcome a 5-1 deficit and capture a 6-5 victory.
Lore surrendered just three hits and three walks. The freshman left-hander allowed just one runner to reach third base.
The Billikens (17-17, 5-5 A-10) scored all six of their runs in the first inning, aided by a La Salle error that made five of the runs unearned.
Jessica Buschjost led off with a walk and stole second, Katie Kroeger walked, and Laura Bohning's ground ball was mishandled to load the bases. A single by Kelsey Biggs scored Buschjost, and Kroeger was forced in when Jessica Van Nostrand was hit by a pitch.
With one out, Elizabeth Everingham grounded out to score Bohning for a 3-0 SLU lead. Erin Harcar followed by rifling a triple to right field, plating Biggs and Van Nostrand. Olivia Roback's single chased home Harcar with the sixth and final run.
Kroeger, Everingham and Ellie Huffman added a single apiece for Saint Louis.
Game one saw La Salle (13-22, 2-12 A-10) score one run in the second, three in the third and one in the fifth to gain a 5-1 lead. Only two of the runs were earned.
The Billikens registered an unearned run of their own in the second when Van Nostrand delivered a one-out double and scored on a throwing error.
Alyson Brand was hit by a pitch to begin SLU's sixth-inning outburst, and pinch runner Madeline Brungardt stole second with one out. Brungardt moved to third on Harcar's single, and Harcar alertly took second on the play for a stolen base.
Brungardt scampered home and Harcar advanced to third on Roback's bunt. Buschjost walked and swiped second, and Lindsay Friedman walked to load the bases. Bohning lined a single to right center that scored Harcar and Buschjost, and Biggs' double down the left-field line brought home Friedman with the tying run and Bohning with the go-ahead run.
The Explorers threatened in the seventh, using a pair of singles to put the potential tying and go-ahead runs aboard. But Laney Kneib, who fanned a season-high nine and did not issue a walk, got the final out to preserve the win and improve to 9-5 on the season.
Bohning, Van Nostrand and Harcar had two hits each, while Buschjost, Everingham and Kroeger chalked up a single apiece.
The Billikens travel to Indianapolis Tuesday, April 16, for an A-10 doubleheader at Butler.
