April 12, 2009

DeFosset Breaks Strikeout Record as Softball Sweeps NKU

GAME ONE
GAME TWO

ST. LOUIS, MO. – Senior Allyson DeFosset recorded 10 strikeouts to become the all-time career leader in University of Missouri-St. Louis history, while helping the Tritons to a 2-0 victory over Northern Kentucky in the first game of a doubleheader Sunday afternoon in Great Lakes Valley Conference action.

DeFosset put her name on top of the charts by striking out the game’s final batter for career strikeout number 430 to surpass Jill Stockdale who recorded 429 career strikeouts from 1993-95. DeFosset threw the complete game two-hitter to improve to 17-3 on the season.

The Tritons then moved their win streak to 12 games with a 2-0 win in the nightcap. UMSL improves to 30-13 on the season, including 14-2 in the GLVC, reaching the 30-win plateau for the first time since 2002 when the squad went 31-25. Northern Kentucky slips to 18-18 and 8-8 in the league.

Seniors Kelly Essner and Megan Riggs delivered back-to-back one-run doubles in the bottom of the fifth inning to break a scoreless game and give the Tritons the opening game victory.

Junior Meghan Bauer paced the squad with two hits as UMSL finished with five in the game.

Sophomore Crystal Koehler earned the win in game two with DeFosset picking up the save. Koehler scattered four hits in four and one-thirds of an inning and struck out two, while DeFosset allowed two hits and struck out three, moving her season strikeout count to 217, surpassing last year’s school single season mark of 216.

Sophomore Carolyn Oquendo put the Tritons on the board in the third inning with a ground out to second that scored Essner. Junior Katie Bartlett then added a security run in the sixth inning with a single through the right side that scored pinch runner Stephanie Kelly from second.

UMSL returns to action Saturday, when it travels to Quincy in a battle of the top two teams in the GLVC. The doubleheader is set for 12 p.m.