ST. LOUIS – Jessica Van Nostrand hit her second home run of the year, and left-hander Brianna Lore picked up her 10th victory in Saint Louis' 4-2 triumph over Atlantic 10 Conference leader Saint Joseph's in game one of a doubleheader Sunday at the Billiken Sports Center.
Saint Joseph's (28-6-1, 11-3 A-10) rallied to win the nightcap 5-3 in nine innings.
The opener saw Saint Louis (20-18, 8-6 A-10) hand Saint Joseph's hurler Taryn Ashway just her second loss of the season and first defeat in A-10 play. Ashway was the winning pitcher in relief in game two to finish the day with a 23-2 mark.
The Billikens scored all four runs with two outs in the third inning. Jessica Buschjost ignited the rally with a one-out infield hit and moved to second when the shortstop's throw sailed high. Laura Bohning's two-out single to left scored Buschjost, and Bohning scooted to second on the throw to the plate.
Kelsey Biggs made it 2-0 by driving in Bohning with a single to center. Van Nostrand followed with a shot that easily cleared the fence in right center, giving the Bills a 4-0 advantage.
Saint Joseph's scored single runs in the fourth and fifth, but Lore (10-12) and the SLU defense limited the damage. A one-out, bases-loaded jam in the fourth was snuffed out by a 4-6-3 double play, the Billikens' second twin killing of the game. In the fifth, the Hawks loaded the bases with nobody out but tallied just once while stranding three.
Lore did not allow a hit until the fourth inning. She struck out three while giving five hits and issuing two walks.
Buschjost was 3-for-4, Van Nostrand added a double, Alyson Brand doubled and Katie Kroeger chipped in a single as SLU out-hit Saint Joseph's 9-5.
The Bills grabbed a 2-0 lead in the second inning of game two. With one out, Van Nostrand reached on an error, stole second and scored on Elizabeth Everingham's two-out home run to right center, her team-high-tying fourth blast of the season.
Saint Joseph's cut the lead in half with a run in the fourth, but SLU regained a two-run margin in the sixth on Van Nostrand's one-out RBI single that followed singles by Bohning and Biggs.
In the top of the seventh, the Hawks had runners at second and third with nobody out following a hit batter and a double. Billiken right-hander Laney Kneib (10-6) induced two ground-ball outs, but a two-run double by Maria Ficca sent the game into extra innings.
SLU loaded the bases in the eighth on infield singles by Lindsay Friedman and Biggs and a walk to Van Nostrand, but Ashway escaped. The Hawks took the lead in the ninth on a two-run homer by Rochelle Christman.
Van Nostrand added a hit to her RBI single, and Erin Harcar recorded a single. Kneib held Saint Joseph's hitless until the fourth and surrendered seven hits and two walks while fanning two.
The Billikens travel to Indianapolis Tuesday, April 23, to face A-10 opponent Butler in a doubleheader that begins at 1 p.m. (CT). The twinbill originally was scheduled for April 16 but was rained out.
