03/25/06

Bouncing back from an error-plagued loss in their late game on Friday, the Saints pushed all of their runs across the plate in the bottom of the fourth inning against the Gorloks.

In their big inning, an error put Laura Heise on on base to lead off the inning. Following a strikeout, Rilee Dawson walked to put runners at first and second in the scoreless game. Webster starting pitcher Gail Vogt recorded another strikeout for out number two but then the flood gates opened.

Sara Kneisl singled to load the bases and Dre Thomas pounded a double to center field that scored Heise and pinch-runner Jody Yurczyk who had come in for Dawson, and moved Kneisl to third.

Kristi Erickson followed with a double of her own to left that scored Kneisl and Thomas and put the Saints up 4-0. A walk to Erica Bond put runners at first and second for clean-up batter Kelly Cordie.

Cordie responded by slamming her second home run of the season to put the Saints up 7-0.

One more run put the Saints up 8-0, all unearned but all scored with 2 outs in the inning. The Saints collected three walks and four hits in the inning with three of those hits coming as extra-base hits.

Dawson took the mound in relief of starter Amy Jansen, who had scattered 3 hits and 2 walks with 2 strikeouts in 4 innings of work, to start the fifth inning. All she needed to do to end the game, via the 8-run rule, was keep Webster from scoring.

After a two-out walk, Dawson got the final out when Thomas flipped to Yurczyk, shortstop to second, for the force on an easy grounder to end the game.

Jansen (2-0) picked up the win and her four scoreless innings drop the freshman's ERA to 1.40.

Kneisl finished the day 2 for 2 with a run scored, Cordie picked up 3 RBI with her homerun, and Thomas and Kristi Erickson collected 2 RBI apiece.

Next up for the Saints (10-5) in a late morning game will be a rematch with the #7 Bears from Washington (Mo.) University.