Bulldogs Eliminated from GLVC Tournament after Marathon Games

Sonam Wangyal, TSU Athletics

Softball | 5/1/2016 1:35:00 PM

BU Box Score (PDF)
UMSL Box Score (PDF)

EAST PEORIA, Ill. - - After a day off because of weather on Saturday, the Truman softball team played two extra-inning contests on Sunday – defeating Bellarmine 6-3 in nine innings in the opener before falling 2-1 in 10 innings to No. 6 Missouri-St. Louis in game two.

The Bulldogs end the regular and conference season at 30-18 overall and now leave their post-season fate in the hands of the NCAA Regional Committee, who will announce the 64-team bracket on Monday (May 2) morning via a webcast at NCAA.com at 9 a.m. (CT). Truman carries a strong resume for its case, including one of the strongest strength of schedules in the region and seven victories this year against teams currently ranked in NCAA regional polls.

On the day, the Bulldogs hit three home runs and got a team-best four hits from freshman Christa Reisinger. The Truman pitching staff held BU and UMSL to a 1.88 ERA, striking out 17 batters in 18.2 innings of work in the two games.

Bellarmine Recap
The Bulldogs scored three times in the top of the ninth inning, including a key two-run shot from Reisinger, to advance early Sunday morning.

Truman trailed 2-0 through three innings off two solo home runs, before sophomore SS Jamie Fowle connected on her second home run of the season in the top of the fourth – a two-run shot – to even the game at two-all. Reisinger then delivered a go-ahead solo shot in the top of the fifth, before BU forced the game into extra innings with a two-out bloop single into center field that plated the tying run in the bottom of the seventh.

The game progressed to the ninth, when freshman 2B Brooke VunCannon came through with a one-out sacrifice fly that allowed senior 3B Cate Simon – who tallied three hits in the game – to score for a 4-3 lead. Then, in the next at-bat, Reisinger homered again – her ninth of the year – to put cushion between the Bulldogs and Knights.

After pitching eight innings and striking out six, senior starter Kindra Henze turned the game over to senior Kelsea Dorsey, who closed the game and earned the save with one inning of work. Henze improved to 12-7 on the year, while Dorsey notched her third save. Reisinger went 2-for-5 with three RBI, while Simon led all players with a 3-for-4 day at the plate.

Missouri-St. Louis Recap
After each team advanced in the early session via extra innings, Truman and the 6^th-ranked Tritons each put one run up on the board in the first inning. Truman's came on an RBI single by Fowle that allowed junior C Lex Van Nostrand to score, while UMSL got an RBI off the bat of Alex Stupek in the bottom half.

The game moved all the way to extra innings, as Dorsey (5.2 innings / 8 strikeouts) and Henze (4.0 innings / 2 strikeouts) and UMSL ace Hannah Perryman dueled in the circle, before the Tritons got runners on second and third with one out in the bottom of the ninth. However, sophomore LF Riley Cook saved the day for the moment by cutting down a runner at the plate for the second out, before a groundout ended the threat and sent the game to the 10^th. Truman couldn't push across a run, but UMSL delivered with a two-out flare up the middle. Reisinger's throw to the plate appeared to beat the sliding runner, but the call at home was safe on a tight play, allowing the Tritons to advance in 10 innings by a 2-1 score.

Fowle and Reisinger each notched two hits, while Henze took the loss in the circle in her 12^th inning of work on the day.

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Players Mentioned

#7 Riley Cook: OF; 5' 8"; Sophomore

#11 Kelsea Dorsey: P; 5' 4"; Senior

#14 Jamie Fowle: SS; 5' 5"; Sophomore

#19 Kindra Henze: P; 6' 1"; Senior; R/R

#15 Cate Simon: 3B; 5' 9"; Redshirt Senior

#5 Lex Van Nostrand: C; 5' 6"; Junior

#2 Christa Reisinger: OF; 5' 5"; Freshman

#13 Brooke VunCannon: OF; 5' 4"; Freshman

Players Mentioned

#7 Riley Cook
: 5' 8"; Sophomore
: OF

#11 Kelsea Dorsey
: 5' 4"; Senior
: P

#14 Jamie Fowle
: 5' 5"; Sophomore
: SS

#19 Kindra Henze
: 6' 1"; Senior; R/R
: P

#15 Cate Simon
: 5' 9"; Redshirt Senior
: 3B

#5 Lex Van Nostrand
: 5' 6"; Junior
: C

#2 Christa Reisinger
: 5' 5"; Freshman
: OF

#13 Brooke VunCannon
: 5' 4"; Freshman
: OF