UIndy 9, UMSL 1 (6)
UIndy 14, UMSL 10
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind.- Despite the cold weather, the UIndy offense was on fire, scoring 23 runs to earn a doubleheader sweep over Missouri-St. Louis at Baumgartner Field on Saturday. The Hounds scored a 9-1 win in the opener but had to rally back from a seven-run deficit to take game two, 14-10.
The Greyhounds scored three in the second inning of game one on the strength of four straight singles to open the inning. Three more singles followed in the third inning before Kathy Blanchard's two-run double. Julie Zaitz placed a single right between the pitcher and shortstop, scoring another Greyhound run and giving UIndy a comfortable 6-0 cushion.
UMSL (17-21, 6-10 GLVC) did get one back in the top of the fourth, but a Lauren Booten solo homer and two more runs in the sixth inning gave the Hounds the win in the opener, 9-1. Amanda Wendlinger picked up the win, throwing six innings, allowing just one run and scattering seven hits to earn her sixth win of the season.
Five different Greyhounds had multiple hits in the first game, led by Blanchard's 3-for-3 effort with three RBI. Every spot in the Greyhound lineup had at least one hit as the Hounds racked-up 16 hits in the win.
A pair of homeruns in the visitors' half of the first inning propelled UMSL to a quick 5-0 lead in the second game sending Greyhound starter Megan Russell to an early exit. She would make up for it later with her performance at the plate but not before the Riverwomen plated two more in the next inning and another in the third for an 8-1 lead through two-and-a-half.
Russell went deep in the third inning and Blanchard notched her fifth hit of the afternoon, helping UIndy score a pair to close it to 8-3. But, the real damage came in the fifth inning, when the Hounds got to three different UMSL pitchers en route to nine runs. UIndy, who sent 12 batters to the plate in the inning, scored four quick ones to chase UMSL starter Dana Essner. Her final pitch was Lindsay Maraldo's two-run blast to left center, trimming it to 9-7. Five more runners would cross the plate in that frame, with another homerun from Russell, her third extra-base hit, part of four RBI for the game for the freshman.
Wendlinger's two-run double gave UIndy a 14-9 lead in the sixth, which was more than enough for the sophomore to earn her second win of the day. She came on in relief to throw 6.1 innings of three-hit ball, allowing two earned runs while walking four UMSL batters.
The Greyhounds again registered 16 hits with Colleen Roach, Russell and Blanchard each contributing three hits apiece.
UIndy (17-10, 7-3 GLVC) welcomes Wayne State University to Baumgartner Field for a non-conference doubleheader on Monday. First pitch is slated for 2:00 p.m.
Notes: Blanchard reached base all seven times she appeared on Saturday, registering six hits and a walk ... Her three hits (each game) were career game-high marks ... Colleen Roach's hitting streak has now reached a dozen after she recorded five hits on the day ... She has a hit in every conference game so far this season and is hitting at a .457 clip vs. GLVC opponents ... Maraldo posted her first hits as a Greyhound, going 4-for-7 on the afternoon with a homer and three RBI ... The Greyhounds already have 16 dingers this season, four shy of last year's school-record performance ... UIndy's nine-run fifth were the most runs scored in an inning this season and most since Mar. 18, 2006 (9 vs. Southern Indiana).
