After winning the University Athletic Association (UAA) Championship for the third straight season, the seventh-ranked Washington University softball team hit their first roadblock in nearly 40 regular season games. The 23rd-ranked College of St. Scholastica handed the Red and Green their first loss in 39 consecutive regular season games on Friday, March 24 as the team fell 4-2 in the first game of the Sixth Annual Midwest Regional Invitational.

In a very rare occurrence the University bats were shut down, as Scholastica pitcher Laura Heise held the Bears to only two hits through the first five innings of play. Starting pitcher freshman Susan Grey, on the other hand, let in four earned runs on five hits in five innings of work. She gave up four walks and struck out four before junior Laurel Sagartz came on in the sixth. Sagartz shut Scholastica down as she did not allow a hit in her two innings of relief while she struck out five of six batters seen.

Despite Sagartz’s heroics, the Bears were not able to comeback from their 4-0 deficit they had going into the sixth. Junior slugger Jamie Kressel doubled off the right field wall as two Bears crossed the plate. Kressel’s two RBIs moved her into fourth place on the University’s all-time list with 64.

Following the loss, the Bears looked for redemption on Saturday as the squad faced off in a doubleheader against Centre College and Scholastica again. Despite the 14-1 pounding of Centre in the first game of the home stand, however, the Bears were unable to topple the mighty Scholastica pitching in game two.

In the first game, the bats came alive as the Bears scored 14 runs on 16 hits as the squad improved their record to 12-1 on the season. Kressel went two-for-three at the plate, knocking in two and scoring two runs, while shortstop sophomore Laura D’Andrea, who it hitting .469 on the season, also went two-for-three with two RBIs and one run scored. Sophomore Amy Vukovich, batting .333 on the year, put in a perfect performance at the plate, going two-for-two and driving in two and scoring two.

The real highlight came at the hands of sophomore Kaylyn Eash, who improved her season record to 5-0 as she allowed only one earned run on four hits and one walk. On the season, Eash has an ERA of 1.54 in eight appearances.

Following the 14-1 sholacking, the Bears were feeling confident that they could stop Scholastica and redeem themselves as ace Laurel Sagartz took the mound for the Bears. In the end, however, the Bears dropped the decision 1-0 in an extremely close pitcher’s duel. Sagartz only allowed four hits and one walk while striking out nine in six innings of work, but Scholastica pitcher Heise once again shut down the Bears bats. She allowed only three hits in seven innings while also fanning nine batters and walking none. Only senior Amanda Roberts, senior Monica Hanono, and Vukovich recorded hits. The loss was the first on the season for Sagartz (7-1) and the one run scored was the first she let up this season. She is posting a 0.14 ERA and has recorded 83 strikeouts so far in 10 appearances.

The team took the field once again on Sunday against Scholastica and Centre in a doubleheader. Once again, the Bears could not find a way to get past Scholastica as the team fell 4-2 for their third loss of the season. The Bears lost only three games all of last year. Grey lost the decision for the second straight game as she gave up three earned runs off six hits and four walks. Once again, Roberts, Kressel and Vukovich were the only Bears to get a hit off the tough Scholastica pitching. All three hits were in the first inning.

It was a sloppy game on both sides of the field as seven total errors were recorded – five coming at the hands of the Bears, a season high. The Bears actually held the 2-1 lead going into the top of the seventh inning when the Scholastica bats exploded for three runs off three hits.

In the last game of the very disappointing homestand, Sagartz took it upon herself to bring the Bears up from the ashes against Centre in game two. She pitched a gem as she pitched a two-hit shutout while fanning 14 batters in the 2-0 victory. The shutout was Sagartz’s 20th of her career, which moved her into first place on the University’s all-time list.

Offensively, the Bears kept their momentum moving as two runs on six hits was all the team needed to secure the victory. Vukovich kept her batting streak alive with a 1-for-2 performance while D’Andrea went one-for-three, knocking in an RBI. Sagartz ended a zero-for-12 batting slump as she knocked in the other game’s run, a double to left field.

The Bears (14-3) return to action at home in a Thursday doubleheader against Westminster College. First pitch is set for 3:30 p.m.

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