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 Elana Meyers Recorded Her 200th Career Hit and the Game-Winning Grand Slam to Keep GW's playoff hopes alive |
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Softball Splits With Saint Louis To Conclude Regular Season
May 5, 2007
WASHINGTON, DC - Senior Elana Meyers went out in style in her last career home game as the George Washington Colonials (23-25, 9-11 A10) split their doubleheader with the Saint Louis Billikens (26-31, 11-8 A10) to keep their Atlantic 10 Tournament hopes alive. Meyers went 4-6 on the day, including hitting the game-winning Grand Slam in the second game, as well as collecting her 200th career hit. The Billikens took the opener, 7-4 in eight innings, while the Colonials won by the same score in the second game.
Down 3-0 in the opener, the Colonials rallied to tie in the bottom of the fifth inning with a 3-run home run by junior Caroline Howe. Howe's career high seventh home run of the season scored junior Katie Miller and Meyers, who both singled earlier in the inning.
The score remained tied at three until the top of the eighth, when the Billikens went for four runs off freshman right-hander Amanda Gabriel. The Colonials managed one run in their half of the eighth but could not get anymore as they fell, 7-4.
Gabriel (13-10) received the loss in her GW single-season record, 16th complete game. The Fullerton, CA, native pitched all eight innings, while allowing seven earned runs on 14 hits, while striking out eight. Gabriel now has 128 strikeouts on the season, which is a new GW single-season record. She also collected her second save of the season in game two.
Meyers, Howe and Yaniga all collected two hits, while Miller added one to lead the Colonials offensively.
Junior Lisa Cohen got the win in the second game pitching five innings, while allowing just two earned runs on six hits. She also helped her own cause by recording a career-high three hits to go with 2 RBIs.
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Saint Louis got on the board first with a run in the top of the first, but GW recovered scoring two in the second to take the lead. Sophomore Tori Sensi walked to lead off the inning, and a pitch subsequently hit Yaniga. After a wild pitch put both in scoring position, Cohen smacked a double to deep center field to take a 2-1 lead.
SLU scored a run apiece in the third and fourth innings to take a 3-2 advantage, but the Colonials exploded for five runs of their own in their half of the fourth. With one out, Miller, Cohen, and senior Katie Harbour, who also competed in her last home game, all hit consecutive singles to load the bases. Freshman Amanda Holst then came into the game to run for Cohen who was at second base. Junior Chrysanthi Halkiotis was then hit by a pitch to tie the game. Meyers came up next, and slugged her first career Grand Slam to deep right field. The Grand Slam was her third home run of the season and the third Grand Slam in GW history (all this season).
Leading off the bottom of the sixth, Meyers laid down a perfect bunt in between the pitcher, catcher and third baseman and beat the throw to first to record her 200th career hit. The Douglasville, GA, native is the first player in Colonials history to record 200 career base hits.
Meyers, Howe, Miller, Cohen, and Harbour combined for all 11 of GW's hits in the second game.
The Colonials, who recorded the best season in program history, will need some help from other conference teams to advance to the Atlantic 10 Tournament for the first time.
