From Washington University Athletics
The Washington University in St. Louis softball team jumped out to a pair of commanding first-inning leads as the Bears ran its winning streak to five games with a pair of victories Sunday at home in the WashU Invitational.
WashU defeated Wartburg College 7-0 behind a career-high 14 strikeouts from junior pitcher Anna McKee in game one, while the Bears registered 10 hits in a 11-1 five-inning win over Webster University in game two.
Senior Janet Taylor went 4-for-8 with two runs scored and three RBIs in the two wins, and increased her batting average to. 392. Taylor is batting 10-for-20 (.500) during the Bears' current five-game win streak.
WashU 7, Wartburg 0 – Game One
McKee (5-1) threw 131 pitches and allowed just five singles en route to her fifth complete game of the year.
She struck out the side in the first, and the Bears responded by scoring five runs in their first at-bat. Taylor singled up the middle to drive in a run, and then junior Hera Tang smoked a two-RBI double to left. With two outs, junior Ashley Madsen singled up the middle to make it 5-0.
The Bears pushed the lead to 7-0 with a pair of runs in the fifth after an RBI by Madsen and an RBI single by sophomore Taylor Arends.
Arends finished the day 3-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI, while senior Halle Steinberg and Taylor added a pair of hits. The Bears had 12 hits in the win.
WashU 11, Webster 1 (Five Innings) – Game Two
Junior pitcher Maggie Clapp (5-3) tossed a complete game in the win against Webster allowing four hits and one earned run. The win for Clapp was the 20th of her career, tied for ninth most in school history.
The Bears scored eight runs on five hits in the first inning, and took advantage of four errors. Taylor started things with a two-RBI double to left center, and then freshman Mikaela Arredondo singled up the middle to make it 3-0.
WashU was not done in the first as sophomore Josi Elder drove in a run with an RBI single to left, and then Madsen and Arends added RBIs to round out the eight-run first.
Steinberg came up with a big two-out, two-RBI single to left field in the top of the fourth to push the advantage to 10-1.
Arredondo went 3-for-4 with two runs scored and an RBI, while Taylor was 2-for-4 with a run scored and two RBIs.
WashU (11-4) opens University Athletic Association (UAA) play on Friday, March 31, with a pair of games at No. 23 Emory University. Game one is set for 2:30 p.m. (ET).
BEAR NOTEBOOK: The Bears have recorded 10 or more hits in eight of the last 10 games … WashU did not commit an error in the sweep … James moved into sole possession of sixth place in school history in runs scored (123), while Mehrle is tied for ninth (113).