From Washington University Athletics
Sophomore Janet Taylor went 3-for-4 with a double, home run and seven RBIs as the No. 21-ranked Washington University in St. Louis softball team posted a split on the final day of the Rhodes College Classic Sunday in Memphis.
Taylor was 2-for-2 with a double and a career-high four RBIs in a 12-0 win in five innings over Maryville College (Tenn.) in game one, and then was 1-for-2 with a home run and three RBIs in a 4-3 five-inning loss to Rhodes. Taylor batted .857 (6-for-7) with two doubles, a home run and 10 RBIs in the four games at the Rhodes Classic.
#21 Washington U. 12, Maryville (Tenn.) 0 – Five
Innings
Washington U. recorded 10 hits and scored a season-high 12
run in the game one victory. Senior Paige Biles went
2-for-3 and tied a school record with four runs scored and three
stolen bases in the win. Junior Annie Pitkin (1-1) picked
up the victory allowing one hit in 3 2/3 innings pitched, while
freshman Mackenzie Gaudentossed 1 1/3 innings and did not
allow a hit. Pitkin's win was the 31st of her
career, tied for sixth most in school history.
The Bears quickly built seven-run lead against Maryville in two innings. Washington U. scored three runs on three hits in the first inning, highlighted by a sac fly out by Taylor and an RBI single up the middle by junior Brooke Hofer. The Bears added four runs in the second inning on seven hits to make it 7-0. Senior Adrienne White, sophomore Hannah Mehrle, Taylor and Hofer had RBIs in the inning for Washington U.
In the third, senior Paige Biles walked with one out and then stole second and third. She came around to score on an RBI by sophomore Kenzie James. After back-to-back errors by Maryville, Taylor cleared the bases with a two-run double to center to make it 11-0. Freshman Hera Tang rounded out the scoring with an RBI single to center in the fourth, the first hit of her career.
Hofer was 3-for-3 with two RBIs, while James was 3-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored. Maryville (1-3) made six errors in the loss.
Rhodes 4, #21 Washington U. 3 – Five
Innings
Freshman Anna McKee allowed four hits and two runs as the
Bears fell behind 2-0 after an inning. McKee walked a pair of
batters to start the third, and then allowed an RBI single to make
it 3-0. McKee was replaced by freshman Maggie Clapp, who gave
up an RBI single to push the advantage to 4-0. Clapp got out of a
jam with a double play to keep it a four-run game.
Trailing by four runs, Washington U. mounted its comeback in the fourth. Biles singled to lead off the inning, and then White walked to push Biles to second. With two outs, Taylor connected on a three-run homerun to center to trim the lead to 4-3. The round tripper was Taylor's first of the season and second of her career.
Rhodes threated in the bottom of the fifth after the first two runners reached. With runners at second and third and no one out, McKee got three-straight outs to keep it a one-run game. The game was called after five innings due to darkness.
McKee (0-1) took the loss allowing five hits and four earned runs in her first career start. Clapp pitched three innings in relief allowing just hits. Washington U. was limited to a season-low two hits in the loss.