05/13/06

After the Tommies broke out to a 2-0 lead in the third, the Saints bounced back to tie things up with two of their own in the bottom of the fourth inning.

Kristi Erickson hit a solo shot over the centerfield fence to lead the inning off, the third time this season she's poked a lead-off homer and her fifth homerun of the season. The next batter, Erica Bond, walked and stole second, then came around for the tying run on a Missy Erickson double to the gap in right-center.

St. Thomas grabbed the lead once again, though, with a run in the top half of the fifth on a squeeze play.

The Saints threatened to tie the score in the bottom half of the inning as lead-off batter Sara Kneisl singled, then stole second. Kneisl tried to score on a two-out single up the middle by Kristi Erickson but was thrown out at the plate to end the threat.

St. Thomas set the Saints down in order in the sixth, scored two insurance runs in the top of the seventh, then once more put the Saints down 1-2-3 to complete the win and stay on the winner's side of the tourney's double-elimination bracket.

Laura Heise (26-5) took the loss for the Saints, pitching all seven innings surrendering five runs, one unearned, on six hits, three walks and seven strikeouts.

Kristi Erickson finished the game 3-for-3 with an RBI, stolen base and one run while Kneisl went 2-for-4 with a stolen base.

With the loss, #5-seed St. Scholastica (37-8) must now battle back from the loser's bracket beginning with a 1 p.m. Saturday match-up against 2nd-seeded Wartburg College who lost their opening game to #7 Simpson College but avoided elimination with a win over Fontbonne (Mo.) University in a Friday afternoon game.