Freshman Laurel Sagartz pitched a two-hit shutout to help the No. 3 softball team defeat Maryville University, 4-0, in the first of two games April 9. The second game was called due to darkness in the top of the sixth with the score tied at 3. Sagartz struck out 10 and walked three to improve to 9-0, while lowering her earned run average to 0.24. She also extended her scoreless streak to 24 innings with her third straight shutout. Junior Liz Swary led off the top of the sixth with a home run to give WUSTL (24-1) the lead. It was her fourth homer of the season and 17th of her career. Washington U. then put the game out of reach with three runs in the top of the seventh inning, thanks to a Stephanie Sheppard bases-clearing double.
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The baseball team split a pair of road games to move its record to 14-13. The Bears opened the week with a 19-18 loss at Green-ville College on April 6. WUSTL hammered out 21 hits and posted a nine-run seventh inning to take a 17-16 lead, but it was not enough. Two days later, senior Adam Cowley and junior Jason Ortwerth pitched the Bears to victory. Cowley pitched 4 2/3 strong innings and struck out eight before Ortwerth came on in relief to pick up his fourth win in a 10-4 win against Westminster College. Cowley recorded six of his strikeouts in the first three innings, allowing no hits.
The No. 12 women’s tennis team placed third at the Midwest Invitational in Madison, Wis., April 9-10. The Bears opened play with an 8-1 win against Luther College. WUSTL swept the doubles point and took five of the six singles matches en route to the win. The Bears then fell to eventual Invitational champion Gustavus Adolphus College, 6-3, but rebounded with a 6-3 win against Albion College in the third-place match. Junior Erica Greenberg led the Bears at No. 5 singles, recording a 3-0 record. Greenberg picked up 6-2, 6-1 wins against Luther and No. 9 Gustavus Adolphus and posted a 6-1, 6-2 win against Albion. Greenberg is 22-2 this year in singles play, including 16-0 in dual matches.
The No. 7 men’s tennis team fell to 7-7 with a 5-2 loss to the University of Missouri-St. Louis April 7 at the Tao Tennis Center. Senior Brian Alvo and sophomore Ari Rosenthal posted an 8-3 win at No. 1 doubles to begin the match, but the Rivermen fought back for wins at No. 2 and 3 doubles to take the doubles point. In singles, UMSL won four of six matches as Rosenthal and sophomore Eric Borden each won their respective match.
The women’s track and field squad posted a pair of first-place finishes April 10 at the SIU-Edwardsville Cougar Classic in Edwardsville, Ill. Senior Lindsey Clark-Ryan took first in the triple jump, while the 1,600-meter relay squad also finished first. Clark-Ryan leaped 11.51 meters for an NCAA provisional qualification and a school season-best mark. The 1,600-relay squad of sophomore Michelle McCully, freshman Natalie Badowski, sophomore Laura Ehret and sophomore Dorothy Gregg clocked a 3:59.66. On the men’s side, sophomore David Skiba continued his ascent in the hurdles. Skiba posted a time of 14.72 in the 110-meter hurdles, good for an NCAA “B” cut.
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