ST. LOUIS – Maryville Softball picked up a massive split with the No. 22-ranked McKendree Bearcats on Friday afternoon, falling 2-0 in game one, before freshman
Cora Boyle delivered a complete-game shutout in game two.
Addison Koth was all the offense the Saints needed in the second battle, as the sophomore went 2-3 with four RBIs, finding the final 4-0 score.
Game two marks the first ranked victory for
Chanin Billings as the head coach of the Saints. Boyle's game two shutout was just her second of her young career, with it also being her eighth complete game of the season.
Koth has now recorded more than one RBI in five games this season, with three of them coming in the last six games, her falling just one RBI shy of her season and career best mark of five she had against Lincoln.
GAME 1 | #22 McKendree 2, Maryville 0
The Saints bats were shutdown for majority of the ballgame, with McKendree's Sami Huck tossing a no-hitter up until Maddie Williamson flicked a ball into shallow centerfield in the bottom of the fifth.
That was the lone hit the Saints recorded as they fell in game one 2-0.
GAME 2 | Maryville 4, #22 McKendree 0
The story of game two was Koth and Boyle as Boyle did not give up a base runner until the top of the fourth. By that time, the Saints already had a two-run lead off the first of two 2 RBI doubles by Koth. With
Emily Corona and
Jenna Kosnoff on second and third, Koth wrapped a ball down the left field line, allowing both to score.
It was an eerily similar situation in the fifth as with Corona and
Ryli Metcalf on second and third, Koth demolished a ball that one hopped the wall in right center for her third and fourth ribbies of the day.
Boyle, with the support of the Maryville men's lacrosse team in the stands, proceeded to close it out.
COACHES' CORNER
Billings on Boyle's game two performance…
"There's a lot of growth. I think from where she was even a month ago to now, she's gotten the ball a lot and she's been able to work through a lot of things and improve."
Billings on Koth…
"I think she just kept working through it… the first ball she didn't hit as hard as she wanted to, but the second one she definitely did. I think she just finally got ahold of the ball and it got the team going."
On the men's lacrosse team's energy and support...
"It was awesome for them [men's lacrosse] to stick around after their practice, they really gave us a really good home atmosphere."
UP NEXT
The schedule does not get any easier for the Saints as they head to the Circle City for a battle with the reigning Midwest Champions in the UIndy Greyhounds.
