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Box Score 2 ST. LOUIS – [Game 1 Box Score] [Game 2 Box Score] The good news for the Missouri Baptist softball team was that they extended their winning streak today, but the bad news is they lost it in the second game of a doubleheader against Lincoln University. The Spartans took the first game, 7-0, but fell in game two, 6-4.
Missouri Baptist (13-11) dominated in game one, outhitting the Blue Tigers 14-3. Jena Trombley pitched a complete game shutout, scattering three hits, while striking out two. She also walked three batters.
Brittany Edelen wasted no time getting on base, as she drew a leadoff walk. She promptly stole second and then reached third on Kelsey Snider's bunt single. Snider stole second on the next pitch to Mariah Randazzo. After Randazzo was retired, Megan Medcalf drilled a sacrifice fly to centerfield, scoring Edelen from third. Amanda Williams singled, which advanced Snider to third. Snider scored on an error by the LU third baseman.
The Spartans increased the lead to 3-0 in the 2nd inning. Payton Anderson reached first to lead off the inning on a dropped ball by the centerfielder. She moved to second on Katie Alexander's sac bunt and then was replaced by pinch runner Chelsea Crain. She scored on Edelen's single up the middle.
In the top of the 4th, the Spartans added two more runs. Sierra Thompson led off with a single through the left side and advanced to second on Deanna Peters' sac bunt. Payton Anderson ripped a single to score Thompson and advanced to second on a throwing error. She then moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on a sac fly by Katie Alexander.
The Spartans plated two more runs in the top of the 7th inning, increasing the lead to 7-0. Randazzo led off with a single down the left field line and moved to second on a sac bunt by Medcalf. Amanda Williams crushed a double to left field, which scored Randazzo. Toni Stang entered the game to run for Williams, and she moved to third on a groundout off the bat of Thompson. Peters scored Stang on a fly ball to right field, which was dropped.
The Spartans had a nifty play to end the game. With one out the bases loaded, Lincoln poked a grounder to Trombley at the circle. She fired it to Williams at the home, who stepped on the plate for the first out. Williams then chucked the ball to Medcalf at first for the game ending double play. The victory ended the MBU winning streak to seven games.
The second game did not go well for starting pitcher Andrea Chessor. She came into the game not giving up an earned run over the past 25.1 innings pitched. She was roughed up in the loss for six runs, three earned, on six hits. The freshman walked one and struck out two over six innings.
Chessor went 1-2-3 in the 1st inning, but gave up two straight hits in the second inning, followed by a three-run home run that gave Lincoln a 3-0 lead.
The Spartans loaded the bases in the top of the 3rd, but Payton Anderson's fly ball found the centerfielder's mitt to end the inning.
Missouri Baptist worked some two-out magic in the top of the 5th inning, plating two runs on three hits. Chessor laced a single through the left side and was run for by Deanna Peters. She moved to second when Anderson's ground ball was booted by the shortstop. Chelsea Crain pinch ran for Anderson and advanced to second on Mackenzie Friedly's RBI single to centerfield that scored Peters. Sierra Thompson threaded a single to left field that scored Crain, cutting the deficit to 3-2.
The Blue Tigers answered in the bottom of the frame, working their own two-out rally. Chessor quickly got two outs and then got the groundball to end the inning, but a fielding error by the MBU second baseman kept the inning alive. Lincoln then roped two straight hits to bring in the fourth run of the game. After a passed ball moved the runners to second and third, they plated two more runs on a base hit to left field.
Missouri Baptist needed four runs to tie the game and only three outs to work with in the top of the 7th. Payton Anderson smoked her fourth long ball of the season to left field, cutting the deficit to 6-3.
Friedly then laced a double to center and moved to third when Sierra Thompson reached base on an error by the LU shortstop.
Friedly scored on a wild pitch and Thompson moved up to second base. The Spartans had the game-tying run at the plate, but the next two MBU batters struck out. That left the game to leadoff hitter Brittany Edelen. She drew a walk to load the bases, putting the go-ahead run on base. The Lincoln pitcher was able to end the threat with a game-ending strikeout, which broke the Blue Tigers 20-game losing streak.
The Spartans poked 12 hits in the game, including two from Edelen, Chessor, Friedly, Thompson, and Corey Pitchford.
Missouri Baptist hosts NCAA Division III Blackburn College on Tuesday. First pitch in the doubleheader is set for 2 pm.
