May 01, 2008

Softball Stays Alive in GLVC Tourney With 2-1 Win Over USI

SIUE-UMSL BOX
USI-UMSL BOX

EAST PEORIA, ILL. - Junior Kelly Essner’s sacrifice fly in the bottom of the eighth inning propelled the No. 7 seed University of Missouri-St. Louis softball team to a 2-1 victory over No. 5 seed Southern Indiana Thursday afternoon in the Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament at Eastside Centre in East Peoria, Ill.

Essner’s pop fly to centerfield scored sophomore Megan Brussman, breaking a 1-1 tie.

The victory advances UMSL (27-25) to play the loser of No. 6 seed Rockhurst and No. 2 seed SIUE in an elimination game Friday morning at 11 a.m.

The Tritons took a 1-0 lead in the fourth inning when Essner singled through the right side, scoring older sister Dana Essner.

Then in the sixth inning, USI’s Sara Loete homered off freshman reliever Crystal Koehler to knot the score at 1-1.

Junior Allyson DeFosset started on the mound, working two and a third innings. She gave up three hits and struck out three. Koehler went four and two-thirds innings, while Kelly Essner picked up the win, pitching one inning.

A two-run fourth inning helped spark No. 2 seed SIU-Edwardsville to a 3-0 victory over UMSL in the first round of the tournament earlier in the day.

SIUE’s Ashley Price reached on an error by sophomore first baseman Carly Maddock. Haylee Eubanks came in to pinch run and advanced to second on a Nicole Beecher single through the left side. A sacrifice bunt by Kaeleigh Rousey advanced both runners before Lindsay Longfellow singled up the middle to score two unearned runs.

SIUE plated another run in the sixth, while UMSL was held to just two hits – a double by senior Jessica Keim and a single by Brussman.

DeFosset pitched five innings in the loss, allowing four hits and striking out two. Koehler pitched one inning in relief, giving up one run on two hits.

For more on the GLVC Tournament, click here!