(Courtesy Saint Louis Athletics)
Lindsay Friedman and Alex Nickel collected three hits apiece, and Saint Louis did all its damage in the final two innings to register a 5-4 Atlantic 10 Conference victory over George Washington Saturday afternoon at GW Softball Field.
By posting their 10th come-from-behind win of the season, the Billikens improved to 23-19 overall and 8-5 in the A-10. George Washington fell to 16-29-1, 2-10.
For a second consecutive day, Saint Louis found itself trailing George Washington 4-0. The Colonials scored twice in the third and added a pair of tallies in the fourth.
The Billikens, who threatened in the third and fourth innings but stranded two runners in both frames, broke through in the sixth.
Friedman led off with a single, stole second and scooted to third on Kelsey Biggs’ fly ball. After Brianna Lore walked, Friedman and pinch runner Brittany Durant pulled off a double steal as SLU got on the board.
Elizabeth Everingham walked, and Mackenzie Peter cut the GW lead to 4-2 with a double that plated Durant. Hailey Weavers brought Saint Louis to within a run with a sacrifice fly.
Nickel began the seventh with a single and scored the tying run on Friedman’s one-out double. Lore drew her second walk of the game with two away, and Everingham came through with a double that chased home Friedman with the go-ahead marker.
Victoria Valos, who singled to start the GW half of the seventh, rounded second and headed to third on Morgan Matetic’s successful sacrifice. But Billiken second baseman Olivia Roback, who took the throw at first to retire Matetic, fired to Everingham in time to erase the potential tying run.
Laney Kneib (5-8), who pitched the final three innings in relief of Lore, fanned Jillian Galich to seal the win.
Kneib struck out two and surrendered just one hit. Lore, who also singled, fanned three and allowed three earned runs, seven hits and one walk.
The Billikens conclude their road trip Sunday with an A-10 doubleheader against George Mason. The twinbill gets under way at 11 a.m. (CT).
