March 29, 2009

Box Score

ST. LOUIS - The University of Dayton softball team dropped a game in heartbreaking fashion and had one bad inning in another as it lost two Atlantic 10 games to Saint Louis Sunday at Billiken Sport Center. SLU (11-17, 4-0 A-10) came out on top 5-4 in the first game despite mighty efforts from senior Katie Jordan and freshman Courtney Kutsulis, and prevailed 8-0 in the nightcap to stay unbeaten in conference play.

The games were delayed from Saturday and then pushed back another three hours Sunday afternoon. When action finally got under way, the Flyers and Billikens battled back-and-forth down to the wire.

Saint Louis took an early 2-0 lead but UD fought back to tie the game 2-2 in the top of the third. Kutsulis, who went 2-for-3 with two runs scored and 2 RBI in game one, hit a lead-off single through the left side. Junior Molly Meyer also found a hole in the left side. Meyer stole second to set up Jordan's two-run double.

The Flyers took the lead in the sixth after junior Megan Lee singled and then Kutsulis hit her first career collegiate homerun, putting UD up 4-2.

SLU answered in the bottom of the frame to knot it up at 4-all. The Flyers went three-and-out in their next at bat. The Billikens secured the win with a walk-off double by junior Nicki Jost that scored teammate Kristin Nicoletti.

Eva Rappe was the hard-luck loser for the Flyers; she struck out three and only gave up three earned runs.

Dayton (3-24, 1-5 A-10) had no answer in the nightcap. Jordan and Rappe accounted for the Flyers' two hits in the second game that ended after five innings. SLU had nine hits, but five were string together in its five-run fourth inning.

The Flyers will play at IPFW this Tuesday, March 31 in a non-conference doubleheader at 3 p.m. ET. They return to UD Softball Stadium to host Ohio University in a non-conference doubleheader the next day, Wednesday, April 1 at 3 p.m. ET.