SLIAC Softball Tournament Preview
| SLIAC Tournament At A Glance - 2022 SLIAC Softball Tournament Page | |||||
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The 2022 St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Softball Tournament takes place this week with the quarterfinal round starting on Tuesday. The tournament will move to the Louisville Sports Complex in Peoria, Illinois for the semifinal round and championship later in the week. Admission for all tournament games will be $5 for adults, and $3 for 16 and under. Please check each host school's attendance policy for any restrictions. A reminder that both semifinal games as well as the championship game with be broadcast live with College Casts. |
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| #1 West - Fontbonne University - FIRST ROUND BYE | |||||
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Griffins by the Numbers
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A Look at the Griffins Fontbonne won its second straight regular-season title, going 16-4 this spring and winnings its last four conference games. The Griffins hit .327 as a team and averaged 6.2 runs per game this season. They were third in the league in stolen bases with 72 and in earned-run average at 4.29 while recording six shutouts. Lilly Jones leads the team with 42 hits and 16 stolen bases, scoring 27 times. Lexi Becker is batting .382 with 19 RBI and has a .488 on-base percentage while Hannah Miener has a team-high 25 RBI with her .323 average. Miener and Alonzo are tied for the team lead with 4 home runs. Freshman Hailey Kutz has stepped right into the circle to lead the pitching staff; going 6-3 with a 2.98 E.R.A. and 58 strikeouts. Michaela Mason and Abby Alonzo have both topped 40 innings thrown this season. |
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| #1 East - Spalding University - FIRST ROUND BYE | |||||
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Golden Eagles by the Numbers
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A Look at the Golden Eagles Spalding is currently hitting .354 and led the league in runs scored with 261. They hit 12 home runs and swiped a league-high 106 bases this spring. The pitching staff holds a 5.03 earned-run average, recording three shutouts. Jessica Tucker is the engine that drives the league's top offense. Tucker is batting .495 with 3 home runs and 36 RBI while swiping 19 bases and scoring 61 times. Bella Velez is batting .438 and is tied for the team lead with 17 doubles while leading the conference with 50 RBI. Grayce Marcum gives the Golden Eagles a third hitter batting over .400 and has stolen 17 bags. Rylee Phillips is hitting .358 and leads the team with 25 steals. Erica McMann has thrown over 103 innings this spring, going 11-6 in the circle with a 5.17 earned-run average. Bella Velez and Kori Calvert have rotated turns as the team's second arm. |
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| #2 West - Webster University vs. #3 East - Eureka College - Tuesday, May 3 in St. Louis, Mo. | |||||
| Series Record: Webster leads series 24-8 Season Series: Tied 1-1 Last Meeting: (4/16/22 DH) G1: Eureka def. Webster 5-3 / G2: Webster def. Eureka 18-5 |
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Gorloks by the Numbers
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A Look at the Gorloks Webster will look to become the first repeat tournament champion since Greenville won three straight from 2016-18. The Gorloks closed out the regular season on a seven-game win streak and are hitting .352 as a team while averaging 7.6 runs per game. They have 9 home runs and 42 stolen bases this season with a conference-best team E.R.A. of 3.74. Reese Waggoner leads a balanced pitching staff; going 9-3 with a 2.44 earned-run average and 59 strikeouts in 12 starts. Sarah Shepard has made 14 starts, picking up 7 wins and 2 saves while Braidyn Burr and Arianna Arias have each thrown over 30 innings. The lineup is headed up by freshman Katie Croxall who is batting .486 with 19 RBI. Paige Thomas has hit a team-high 4 home runs while Sheldon Underwood leads the team with 19 stolen bases. A total of 12 Gorloks have reached double digits in RBI. |
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Red Devils by the Numbers
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A Look at the Red Devils Eureka has dropped its last four games as they come into the tournament. They are batting .300 as a team, averaging 5.4 runs per game. The Red Devils have pop in their lineup with 13 home runs and finished second in the league with 101 stolen bases. Raelyn Payne is hitting a SLIAC best .533 this season while swiping a program-record 45 bases. She has 21 doubles and 3 home runs, driving in 28 runs and walking 19 times while striking out just three times. Bria Wessel has benefited from hitting behind Payne, driving in 41 runs while also hitting a team-high 4 home runs. Christine Mepham and Kate LeMasters are both hitting above .300 this spring and have driven in double-digit runs. The Red Devils rely on the arms of Sidney Wightman and Christine Mepham in the circle. Wightman has thrown over 135 innings while Mepham has made 14 starts. |
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| #2 East - Greenville University vs. #3 West - Westminster College - Tuesday, May 3 in Greenville, Ill. | |||||
| Series Record: Greenville leads the series 38-17 Season Series: Greenville won 2-0 Last Meeting: (4/1422 DH) G1: Greenville def. Westminster 9-0 / G2: Greenville def. Westminster 9-1 |
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Panthers by the Numbers
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A Look at the Panthers Greenville comes into the postseason having won five straight games. The Panthers are hitting .316 as a team, scoring 228 times this spring. They lead the league with 338 hits including 72 doubles and 16 home runs. Their pitching staff is second in the SLIAC with a 3.75 earned-run average. Mia Boyd is dangerous anytime she steps into the batters' box. The freshman infielder is hitting .424 with 6 home runs and 37 RBI. Madi Case, another freshman, is batting .451 while Desirae Yost is hitting .339 with 31 RBI. Morgan Wendling has six triples and six doubles in her 44 hits. The pitching duo of Alison Klaus and Melissa Bernal gives the Panthers a strong combo. Klaus is 9-5 with 10 complete games and 109 strikeouts while Bernal is 9-7 with 11 complete games and is nearing her 100th inning pitched. |
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Blue Jays by the Numbers
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A Look at the Blue Jays Westminster closed the regular season on a four-game slide. They led the league with a .361 team batting average, averaging 7.6 runs per game. Their team E.R.A. sits at 7.27 through the regular season. Laney Rosson leads the team with 43 hits including 13 doubles and 4 triples while driving in a team-high 30 runs. Emily Esquivel is tied for the team lead with 43 hits, scoring 31 times. Eva Gannon leads the team with 4 home runs while Kasey Ginder has walked a team-high 15 times, swiping four bags. Erin Carr and Haley Miller are the top two arms for the Blue Jays, combining for 143 of the teams 180 innings. |
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