Griffins escape rain with sweep of Greenville

St. Louis, Mo. - Fontbonne fans were nervous during the latter game against Greenville last night as a storm to the north had everyone on edge. The teams avoided any delay until the bottom of the sixth inning when a five-minute downpour halted the contest. The Griffins secured the victory and a sweep on the night for their 10th conference win. Saturday, Fontbonne's hosts Eureka College in a noon doubleheader. Both teams are 10-2 in the SLIAC.

Game one

Greenville got on the scoreboard first after Sam Brown misread a fly ball to right. The ball sailed over her head for a double and scored the Panther from first. Andrea Martin advanced to third on the throw home but was stranded on a groundout back to Madi Leonard in the circle.

Fontbonne freshman Sarah Kitchen robbed Greeville of a double in the gap in right to strand a runner on first in the fourth inning. The bottom half proved well for Fontbonne as Maddie Cooksey reached first on an error by the Panther shortstop. She stole second and Brown walked as Emelia Modglin stepped to the plate with zero outs. Modglin ripped a double to left that hit the top of the fence off a bounce. Greenville's left fielder ran into the fence, knocking it down, but the Griffins secured a 2-1 lead. Emily Smith hit a fielder's choice to third as the Panthers caught Modglin in a rundown, but the freshman escaped to give the Griffins another edge with runners on the corners and still no outs. After senior Lindsay Schaefer made head coach Bill Rosner tuck and roll on a foul line drive, the designated player recorded two RBI's the opposite way on a double to right. Fontbonne led 4-1 after four innings of play.

In the fifth, Leonard struck out the first two batters but then walked two as the tying run stepped up to bat. Tobiason singled to left to score Greenville's second run but the Brown's cutoff to Modglin at third proved efficient as the Griffins threw out the Panther trying to score at home.

Fontbonne stranded three in the fifth, but scored another run while Greenville stranded three as well, this time in the sixth inning. The Griffins wanted an interference call but didn't get it as Greenville had the bases loaded and two outs in the sixth. Leonard got out of the jam with a strikeout.

After six innings, Fontbonne led 7-2 but Greenville didn't back down. The Panthers scored two but Diamond Thomas picked up a groundball for the unassisted out to strand two runners as the Griffins won 7-4. Leonard struck out eight and allowed eight hits and four walks. Modglin and Schaefer each hit two of four attempts and tallied three RBI's. Brown walked three times as Smith added two more walks for the Griffins.

Game two

Brown walked once again to open Fontbonne's offense and took second on a wild pitch. After two outs, she scored as Smith hit down the left field line to give Fontbonne a 1-0 lead early in the game.

Fontbonne scored two more runs in the second inning as Thomas and Alleigh Kruse each walked and stole a base. Both runners scored on a throwing error by Greenville's shortstop that would have ended the inning.

Griffin Maddy Strickland allowed four hits and a fielder's choice to cut Fontbonne's lead to one in the third inning. Leonard came in to pitch when Smith threw out the Panther pinch runner on first, shifting momentum Fontbonne's way as Leonard then ended the inning on a strikeout.

Schaefer hit her second double of the night in the bottom half of the third inning to score Smith and give Fontbonne a two-run cushion and the final run of the game.

Fontbonne thought they had a sacrifice fly from Modglin in the fourth but Greenville appealed that Kruse didn't tag up at third and won.

Greenville's pinch runner in the third was their left field flex player. While she re-entered back to left in the bottom of the third, the switch was never reported to the umpire. Greenville's designated player walked in the fifth, but was out as Fontbonne appealed the lineup. The walk would have put runners at first and second with one out, but instead put two outs on the scoreboard and Fontbonne ended the inning as Leonard put up another strikeout.

Each team hit a ground-rule double in the sixth but couldn't profit from the long balls.

Leonard earned the third out on a strikeout in the final five innings of game two. She totaled nine strikeouts over 4.2 innings of work with only one walk and five hits for her 14th win of the season.

On the night, Schaefer went four-of-seven with four RBI's. Brown totaled five walks.