SLIAC Softball Semifinals to Feature Top Seeds

The 2022 St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Softball Tournament semifinals will boast the top four teams in the league after Greenville University and Webster University advanced in the quarterfinals. Playing in a six-team format for the first time in conference history, both host schools won their first-round match-ups to advance to games at the Louisville Slugger Complex in Peoria, Illinois.

Game 1: #2 Webster defeated #3 Eureka, 6-0
Defending SLIAC Tournament Champion, Webster University extended its conference-best winning streak to eight games with a 6-0 win over Eureka College. The league's top hitter, Raelyn Payne started the game with a walk for the Red Devils. However, Gorlok pitcher Reese Waggoner sat down the next batter swinging with her battery mate Paige Thomas throwing out Payne, who leads the SLIAC with 45 steals, attempting to steal second. Waggoner struck out the next batter for the final out of the inning to prevent any early damage. 

The Gorloks opened the scoring in the 2nd inning when Sheyla Iniguez drew a lead-off walk. An error put two runners on and Kaelyn Kearney singled to load the bases. With one out Katie Croxall did her job and hit the ball to deep short, grounding out but plating a run. Waggoner continued to stymie the Red Devil offense sitting down the lineup in order in both the 2nd and 3rd innings. The Gorloks then busted the game open in the bottom of the 3rd with five runs on six hits and an error. Jaelin Holdaway and Iniguez hit back-to-back doubles that made the score 4-0. Another double, this one from Lucy St. John extended the lead and Croxall added to it with an RBI single to left. 

The Red Devils got their first hit leading off the 4th inning, from Payne, but a double play quickly erased that threat. Waggoner would go on to pick up the complete-game win for the Gorloks, her 10th victory on the season, allowing just two hits while striking out six. The Gorloks finished with 10 hits from nine different players. 

Game 2: #2 Greenville defeated #3 Westminster, 5-1
Greenville moved onto the semifinals with a 5-1 win over Westminster. The Panthers outhit the Blue Jays 7-3 in the game and scored in four of the team's six at-bats. The game started differently than how it ended as Westminster drew back-to-back walks to start the game. Panther pitcher Alison Klaus picked up the innings first out with a strikeout and then forced a ground out to third. She escaped the danger by forcing a pop-up to center for the final out. The Panthers then started to put runs on the board in the bottom half. 

As her counterparts did, the Panthers' Madi Case started the inning with a walk. A sacrifice moved her over and she would then score on a double from Jaclyn Belzer. Greenville struck again in the 3rd inning when Taylor Weiss doubled in Mia Boyd and would tack on two more runs in the next frame on a double by Belzer. The Panthers took a five-run lead in the 5th when Case singled up the middle, scoring Katie Woodruff. 

Westminster finally got on the board in the 6th inning when an errant throw from the outfield allowed Emily Esquivel to score. Klaus sat the Blue Jays down in order in the 7th and finished the game with 12 strikeouts while allowing just three hits in picking up the win. Case and Belzer led Greenville with two hits apiece. 

NEXT UP
The SLIAC Softball Tournament will now move to a neutral field, playing the semifinals and championship rounds in Peoria, Illinois at the Louisville Slugger Complex. The tournament will be a double-elimination format with two games on Thursday, three on Friday, and championship day on Saturday. 

The tournament's top overall seed, Fontbonne University, will face Greenville at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. Fontbonne won its second straight regular-season conference title to earn a first-round bye. The Griffins were 3-1 against their cross-town rivals this spring, sweeping the doubleheader at home and splitting on the road. They split their regular-season series against Greenville back on April 23.

Spalding University, the #1 seed from the East Division, will take on Webster at 7 p.m. on Thursday. Spalding earned a first-round bye after going 14-5 in conference play. The Golden Eagles were 3-1 against Greenville this season, sweeping both games on the road and splitting at home. Spalding lost both games of a road doubleheader against Webster this spring.

The complete remaining tournament schedule is listed below. 

Thursday, May 5
Game 3: #1 Fontbonne vs. #2 Greenville, 4:30 p.m.
Game 4: #1 Spalding vs. #2 Webster, 7 p.m.
Friday, May 6
Game 5: Game 3 Loser vs. Game 4 Loser, 12 p.m.
Game 6: Game 3 Winner vs. Game 4 Winner, 2:30 p.m.
Game 7: Game 5 Loser vs. Game 6 Winner, 5 p.m.
Saturday, May 7
Game 8: Winner of Game 6 vs. Winner of Game 7, 12:30 p.m.
Game 9: If Neccessary