After struggling to a 2-3 record in the Midwest Regional Tournament a week and a half ago, the Bears returned to form this past weekend, taking both ends of consecutive doubleheaders on Thursday and Friday.
“We had a tough week, but as long as we keep improving throughout the season is really all that matters,” junior Jamie Kressel said. “We want to make sure we win the last game.”
Westminster College came into St. Louis on Thursday with a 5-7 overall record. In the first game, Laurel Sagartz continued her outstanding season, pitching yet another shutout. She struck out 13 batters, allowing just two hits over six innings as the Bears defeated the Bluejays by way of the mercy rule, 8-0.
Senior Amanda Roberts singled and then stole second and home to start off the game. Roberts would later tie a school record by stealing three bases in the game. Sophomore Amy Vukovich and Kressel drove in the next two runs, both on RBI singles, to give the Bears a 3-0 lead in the home half of the first inning.
Sophomore Laura D’Andrea added a two-run double in the third. She also had an RBI triple in the second inning and an RBI single in the sixth to end the game. Both D’Andrea and Kressel finished the game with three hits as the Bears rolled to the easy victory.
The second half of Thursday’s twin bill also displayed the Bears’ pitching prowess, as freshman Susan Gray and sophomore Kaylyn Eash split time on the hill and tossed a combined shutout, 4-0. Gray pitched the first five innings, allowing just four hits while striking out three. Eash then came in to pitch a perfect sixth and seventh, getting her first save of the season in the process. Offensively it was Kressel who stole the show again, singling in senior Diona Little in the first and then adding a two-run homer in the sixth. Kressel’s long ball was the fifteenth of her career and third this season.
On Friday, the Bears dominated Blackburn College, posting another pair of shutouts. The first game featured one of the University’s most impressive performances of the season. Sagartz pitched another shutout, striking out 13 Blackburn hitters while allowing just one hit over a mercy-ruled five innings. Laurel struck out 13 of the 16 batters she faced, lowering her season ERA to 0.11. Sagartz also launched a three-run homer, her second of the year, as part of a five-run first inning.
The rest of the Bears offense held up their end of the bargain as well, scoring 14 runs over five innings. D’Andrea went 3-3 with six RBI and freshman Katie Johns added three hits of her own. Roberts, Kressel and junior Erin Wolf each added two hits apiece as the Bears invoked the mercy rule for the third straight game.
The second leg of the doubleheader again showcased the Bears’ dominance. Sophomore Kaylyn Eash tossed a complete game shutout, allowing just two hits and striking out two to improve her record to 6-0.
The Bears jumped out to an early 3-0 lead after Kressel knocked in two runs with a double. Kressel added a sacrifice fly in the third, and senior Monica Hanono added her first homerun of the season to stretch the lead to 6-0. The Bears added a run each in the fourth and fifth innings, as the University extended its streak of mercy-rule shutouts to four.
Of the improved performance shown by the squad over the weekend, Kressel noted, “We worked hard in practice last week and tweaked a few things. We got back on track and everyone played amazing.”
The team returns to the field this weekend when it travels to Bloomington, Illinois for the Illinois Wesleyan Tournament.