From Washington University Athletics
Junior Annie Pitkin struck out a school record 18 batters in game one to highlight the No. 15-ranked Washington University in St. Louis softball team doubleheader sweep at Monmouth College Saturday afternoon in Monmouth, Ill.
Washington U. posted a 3-1 win in 10 innings in game one, and then pounded out a season-high 16 hits in the 5-1 win in game two.
WashU improved to 25-7 with the two wins, while Monmouth dropped its sixth-straight game and fell to 6-13. The Bears have won 25 or more games in 13-straight seasons, including 10-consecutive under head coach Leticia Pineda-Boutté.
#15 WashU 3, Monmouth (Ill.) 1 (10 Innings) – Game One
Pitkin (16-4) tossed her 14th complete game of the season allowing just four hits and one earned run in the game one victory. She struck out the side in the 2nd and 9th innings, and recorded her school record 18th strikeout to end the game. Pitkin, who leads NCAA Division III in wins (16) and strikeouts (171), moved into a tie for fourth in school history with 46 wins.
"Everything was working for me today. They were on the changeup so we went with the rise and the drop ball," said Pitkin. "That was a really fun game to pitch. I knew if I could keep them from scoring that we would pull through."
WashU jumped out in front 1-0 in the second inning after sophomore Janet Taylor led off with a triple to right field and then came around to score on an RBI groundout by junior Brook Hofer. The Bears were limited to just one hit in the next five innings, and Monmouth tied the game in the sixth on a two-out RBI single by Hannah Drowns.
Pitkin remained in control on the mound, and WashU finally pushed across two runs in the top of the 10th. Taylor walked with one out and advanced to second on a groundout. With two outs, senior Sydney Caldwell delivered the game-winning hit to left driving in Taylor to make it 2-1. Caldwell advanced to second on the throw home, and then came around to score after Monmouth catcher Charlotte Park airmailed a throw into centerfield that rolled to the fence.
Taylor was 2-for-2 with two walks, two runs scored and on base all five times, while Caldwell went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored. Sophomore Kenzie James and senior Alyssa Wilson also had a pair of hits for WashU, who recorded 11 hits and left 12 runners on base.
#15 WashU 5, Monmouth (Ill.) 1 – Game Two
The Bears pounded out a season-high 16 hits in the game two victory, but also left a season-high 14 runners on base. WashU had recorded four-straight games with double figure hits and 13 this season.
Senior Adrienne White went 4-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored and moved past (Corissa Santos, 2009-12) into third all-time in school history with 188 hits. Freshman Hera Tang went 3-for-5 with two RBIs in her first career start, while senior Paige Biles (2-for-5, two runs scored), sophomore Hannah Mehrle (2-for-4) and Caldwell (2-for-4) had multi-hit games.
WashU wasted no time taking the lead in game two after Taylor singled to right field with one out in the first to give the Bears a 1-0 lead. Taylor reached base six-straight times Saturday before a groundout in the second.
The Bears added a pair of runs in the second after a two-RBI double to right by Tang, and then freshman Anna McKee pushed the advantage to 4-0 in the third with a solo homerun to right. The HR for McKee was her third of the season.
With freshman Maggie Clapp on the mound with a four-run lead, Monmouth pushed across a run in the fourth after an RBI single by Maggie Hayes. White added an RBI double down the right field line in the seventh to round out the scoring.
Clapp (5-1) picked up the win allowing five hits and one earned run in five innings pitched, while freshman Mackenzie Gauden picked up her first career save pitching two innings allowing one hit with three strikeouts. White was also stellar in the field making a season-high eight assists from third base.
Washington U. continues an eight-game road trip Tuesday, April 7, at Principia College. Game one is set for 5 p.m. in Elsah, Ill.
BEAR NOTEBOOK: WashU leads the all-time series with Monmouth 8-2 … Biles has a 15-game hitting streak and reached base in 25-straight games … Biles had two steals to move into a tie for second place in school history with 58 … White moved into sixth in career stolen bases (34) and runs scored (115) … Wilson started her 120th-straight game at shortstop.