Box Score ST. LOUIS, Mo. – SIUE softball picked up its 35th victory of the season with a 7-3 road victory against Saint Louis at the Billiken Sports Center.
Reagan Curtis and Sarah Lopesilvero each had two RBIs. Curtis drove home her runs with doubles in both the first and sixth innings. Lopesilvero blasted a two-run home run in the fifth inning.
"You never really go into a season thinking you're going to get 35 (wins)," said SIUE Head Coach Sandy Montgomery. "I knew this year was going to be a good one, and so far the kids have not disappointed."
Haley Chambers-Book earned her 22nd victory of the season by throwing the final 3 2/3 innings and not allowing a run in relief of Ashley Koziol and Emily Ingles. SIUE improved to 35-8 for the season.
SIUE opened up a 3-0 lead in the first inning. Alyssa Heren opened the game with a bunt single. After stealing second, Zoe Schafer moved her to third on a sacrifice bunt. Allison Smiley then was hit by a pitch. The Cougars executed the double steal on the corners to perfection to open the scoring.
Curtis followed with an RBI doubles. Sydney Bina later was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to account for the other run.
"We got a few timely hits. Getting up 3-0 allows your defense to settle in," said Montgomery.
SLU, 17-20, tied the score in the second inning. Hailey Weavers hit a home run to left field with two runners on base.
The eventual game-winning RBI occurred in the fourth. Once again, SIUE loaded the bases on SLU starter Maddie Baalman. This time Smiley picked up the RBI when she was hit by a pitch.
Lopesilvero hit her fifth home run of the season in the fifth inning. She is now tied for the team lead in homers with Schafer and Heren.
"I just had to keep fighting off that inside pitch and then look for a good one," said Lopesilvero.
The Cougars added an insurance run in the sixth when Curtis drove home Schafer. Curtis' double just missed being a home run by a few feet and thumped the left-center field fence.
SIUE returns to Ohio Valley Conference play with a Saturday doubleheader at Jacksonville State and a Sunday doubleheader at Tennessee Tech.
