Bills Begin Six-Game Roadswing
April 2, 2007 On Deck: Saint Louis, which has won five of its last six games, kicks off a six-game roadtrip on Wednesday when it travels to UT Martin for a 2 p.m. non-conference doubleheader. The Billikens (17-17, 4-0 Atlantic 10) then journey to the East Coast where they face Rhode Island in single games on Friday and Saturday, and wrap up the week with a doubleheader at UMass on Sunday. Friday's first pitch is slated for 2 p.m. (CT), while Saturday and Sunday's action begins at 11 a.m. (CT). Recapping Last Week: After splitting a doubleheader at Eastern Illinois to begin the week, Saint Louis swept St. Bonaventure at The Billiken Sports Center to remain unbeaten in the A-10. In game one against the Bonnies, SLU prevailed 10-2 in five innings after slugging nine hits. Senior Jill Pursell led the way with three RBIs, including two in the bottom of the fifth to end the game via the mercy rule. In game two, freshman catcher Nicki Jost drove in the winning run in the bottom of the seventh to lift the Billikens to a 2-1 victory. Junior starter Lorena Floccari earned her sixth win after allowing one unearned run on four hits. Scouting Tennessee-Martin: The Skyhawks, who are in the midst of their Ohio Valley Conference slate, enter the week with a 16-21 overall mark and a 4-5 ledger in the OVC. Ashley Benbow leads the team with a .353 average. Leadoff batter Brittany Nash hits .315 and is a perfect 12-for-12 in the stolen base department. Savannah Roberts leads the club with 26 RBIs, and is one of four players who has three or more homers for the Skyhawks. As a team, UTM has ripped 19 homers so far this season. Four pitchers contribute in the circle, led by Paij Lintz's 1.62 ERA and Ashley Myatt's 66 strikeouts. Head coach Donley Canary has a 170-149-1 record in six seasons at the helm of the Skyhawks.
Scouting Rhode Island: The Rams, who play a doubleheader with conference foe UMass on Tuesday, enter the week 6-14 overall and 1-1 in the A-10 after splitting a doubleheader at Dayton over the weekend. Tara Hiteman is hitting a team-best .357, while Melissa Wilson contributes a .316 average with three home runs. Alyssa Martino leads the club with 14 RBIs. Rhody has struggled in the circle, as the four-arm staff has posted a 5.49 ERA and has allowed a .338 batting average. Head coach Deb Smith is in her second season at URI and has a 26-41 record. Scouting Massachusetts: The Minutewomen enter the week 15-12-1 overall and 2-0 in A-10 play. They face Rhode Island in a Tuesday doubleheader before hosting the Billikens on Easter Sunday. Candice Molinari leads three players hitting .300 or better with a .404 mark. Stacy Cullington is hitting .299 with a team-best five home runs and 26 RBIs. Brandice Balschmiter leads the pitching staff with a 1.73 ERA and a league-leading 118 strikeouts. Head coach Elaine Sortino is in her 28th season at UMass with a 951-416-5 record. Coach John Conway: Conway is in his first season at the helm of the Billikens. Hired in July 2006, Conway came to SLU after leading Fontbonne (Mo.) University to three NCAA Division III Tournaments in four years. He achieved his first win at SLU on Feb. 24 in a 2-0 decision against Northern Iowa. In five seasons overall, Conway has posted a 134-68 career record. The Atlantic 10: Saint Louis tied for sixth in the Atlantic 10 Conference preseason coaches poll after finishing in that same spot in its inaugural season in the league last year. Massachusetts, which has won 11 of the last 12 conference titles and was five outs away from advancing to the College World Series last season, was picked to repeat as league champion. The 2007 Atlantic 10 Softball Tournament, hosted by the University of Massachusetts in Amherst, Mass., will be held May 11-13 and will feature the league's top six teams. The Billiken Sports Center: The home of SLU softball is The Billiken Sports Center. SLU's first season at the 500-seat facility was in 2000, but the landscape has changed drastically. Over the right field fence, construction is on-going for Chaifetz Arena, SLU's new multi-purpose on-campus arena, which is slated to open in March 2008. Running of the Bills: Saint Louis has already stolen a single-season record 69 bases this season, which leads the Atlantic 10. The Billikens have matched the single-game record of six steals on three occasions. On Strike: Junior pitchers Lorena Floccari and Ashley Levan already rank in the top five in career strikeouts. Levan's 360 Ks rank third all-time, while Floccari trails with 289, which ranks fourth all-time. In addition, the duo ranks in the top 10 all-time in wins, ERA, appearances and innings pitched.
At the Top: Lorena Floccari earned her fifth career save in the first EIU game to become the sole leader in the career saves category. She surpassed Nicole Bohnenstiehl, who earned four saves from 2001 to 2003. One Four the Books: Senior Jill Pursell broke the school record when she scored four times against Southeastern Louisiana on Feb. 18. The previous record for runs scored was three, which was done numerous times. Seeing Double: Freshman Nicki Jost is closing in on SLU's single-season doubles record. She is currently tied for fourth on the season list with 10 two-baggers, just four shy of the all-time lead. Senior Jill Pursell trails with nine doubles. You Can Call Me Al: Senior infielder Allison Appenfeller (Leawood, Kan. / Blue Valley North) hit .357 over the past two weeks to raise her season average to .236 ... singled in a run and scored in the first St. Bona matchup ... stroked a two RBI single in the first Eastern Illinois game. Ernst Goes to Camp: Senior infielder Christy Ernst (Lake St. Louis, Mo. / Wentzville Holt) is second on the team with a .364 average ... tied for third on the club with nine steals ... returned to the lineup in the St. Bona doubleheader after sitting out the twinbill at EIU. Buy or Sell?: Senior outfielder Jill Pursell (Pinckneyville, Ill. / Pinckneyville) leads the team with a .438 average ... leads the A-10 with 28 runs scored, just four shy of SLU's single-season record ... currently riding a career-high 13-game hitting streak while hitting safely in all but two of her 28 games played ... went 5-for-7 with two doubles, three RBIs and two runs scored in the St. Bona doubleheader ... her two-run double with the bases loaded pushed across the game-ending runs in game one against the Bonnies ... singled in both games of the EIU doubleheader. Long Distance Renner: Senior catcher Jenna Renner (Belleville, Ill. / Althoff) reached on an error and scored the first run in the second St. Bona tilt ... doubled in the second Eastern Illinois game. Side Burns: Junior utility player Jess Burns (Linn, Mo. / Helias) came in as a pinch runner in the second St. Bonaventure game. Ebb and Flow: Junior pitcher Lorena Floccari (Tallmadge, Ohio / Walsh Jesuit) is 6-8 with a 3.38 ERA ... did not allow an earned run in 11 innings last week ... went the distance in the second St. Bona game, earning the win after allowing four hits and one unearned run ... earned her SLU record fifth career save after working three innings of scoreless relief in the first EIU tilt. Speedy Gonzalez: Junior pitcher Rosie Gonzalez (Newton, Kan. / Barton County CC) is third on the team with 11 appearances in the circle ...allowed one hit in two innings of work in the second EIU game. Hey Burt: Junior infielder Jody Herbert (Moline, Ill. / Alleman Catholic) has appeared in 20 games ... earned the start at third in the second Eastern Illinois game. Levan on the Edge: Junior pitcher Ashley Levan (Springfield, Ill. / Sacred Heart Griffin) leads the pitching staff with a 2.46 ERA and 100 strikeouts ... has won her last three starts ... allowed one earned run on three hits in the first St. Bona game ... allowed one hit in four scoreless innings in the first EIU game. Dill Pickle: Sophomore outfielder Annie Dillinger (Dupo, Ill. / Fontbonne) is hitting .259 ... leads the team with 14 stolen bases ...singled in the second St. Bona game ... had three hits, including a double, and scored in the first Eastern Illinois game, her third three-hit game of the season. Bringing the Heet: Sophomore shortstop Rachel Heet (St. Louis, Mo. / Mehlville) is third on the team with a .356 average ... went 3-for-6 with three RBIs in the St. Bona doubleheader ... broke the game open with a bases loaded triple in the first SBU game ... walked and scored in the second Eastern Illinois game. Close Shaves: Freshman pitcher/infielder Stacy Gillette (Palatine, Ill. / William Fremd) has made 10 appearances and owns a 1-2 record ...allowed three earned runs on five hits after drawing the start in the second EIU tilt. Jost in the Nick of Time: Freshman catcher/outfielder Nicki Jost (St. Louis, Mo. / Oakville) is the only Billiken to play in all 34 games ... is hitting .296 and leads the team with 21 RBIs ... leads club with 10 doubles and is second with three home runs ... stroked the game-winning single in the bottom of the seventh in the second St. Bona game ...singled in a run and scored in the first SBU tilt ... smashed a three-run home run in the second Eastern Illinois game ...walked and scored in the first game against EIU. King for a Day: Freshman pitcher/infielder Kinsley Kelley (St. Peters, Mo. / Fort Zumwalt South) is hitting .234 ... reached on an error and scored in the first St. Bona game. Miller Time: Freshman pitcher/outfielder Brittany Miller (Germantown, Tenn. / Germantown) appeared as a pinch runner in the first St. Bona game.
I Wanna Be Rich: Freshman infielder Shana Richard (Nashville, Ill. / Nashville Community) is hitting .270 ... started both games of the EIU doubleheader ... doubled in the first game at EIU. Brit-ish Invasion: Freshman infielder Brittney Schmidt (Columbia, Ill. / Columbia) started all four games last week ...singled in both games of the St. Bona doubleheader, scoring twice in the first game ... walked twice and scored a run in the first game at EIU. |
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