May 4, 2001

Senior Dusty Deschamp hit his first collegiate home run, a three-run blast, in his last at-bat to give the Bears an 8-4 win over Webster University in Tuesday's season finale.

Baseball stops Webster, finishes season 18-16

The baseball team ended its 2001 season with a 4-3 run, including a doubleheader sweep over Webster University (11-8, 8-4) in Tuesday's finale that gave the Bears a winning record at 18-16. It was senior day at Kelly Field, and several of WU's departing players had big days. Jon Curd got the win in Game 1, tossing 5 1/3 innings and giving up five runs. Graham McBride and Ramos Mays each went 2-for-3, and Mays and Greg Kriegler cracked home runs. A trio of seniors went out on a positive note in Game 2. In his last collegiate at-bat, Dusty Deschamp hit his first career homer, a three-run blast that stretched the Bears lead to 8-4. Fellow senior Kevin Lux had given WU a 4-3 edge with a homer in the third, and shortstop Andy Smith helped preserve the lead with several remarkable stops in the field. Senior pitcher John O'Connell tossed a complete game, giving up just two earned runs and one walk while striking out five.

WU got a 4-2 win over Greenville College April 25. Curd kept his fantastic season going by tossing a complete-game win, giving up just two unearned runs and striking out five. From there it was on to Cleveland for four games with Case Western Reserve University Saturday and Sunday, but the long trip may have tired the team out as the Spartans rallied to take three straight (10-3, 4-1, 15-11) after the Bears took a 14-4 win in the opener. Andy Smith went 4-for-5, and Lux and Mark Glover each drove in three runs.

Softball bounces back with big extra-inning win

Washington University softball struggled and dropped three of four games, but bounced back by winning a 13-inning nail-biter over one of the best teams in the nation. The Bears started the week off on the wrong foot, dropping a pair to MacMurray College April 26. In Game 1, sophomore pitcher Liz Smith tossed a gem, scattering seven hits over eight innings, but WU fell, 1-0. The Bears didn't fare much better in Game 2, losing 5-1. They traveled to Bloomington, Ill., to square off against Illinois Wesleyan University, who entered the contest at 30-10 on the season. The Bears were handed a 10-2 loss in the opener but came back for a long battle in the nightcap. After the teams traded runs in the 10th to break a scoreless tie, the Bears finally tacked four runs on the board in the top of the 13th, highlighted by senior first baseman Anne Gregory's three-run homer. The Titans rallied with three runs in the bottom of the inning, but the Bears held on for the 5-4 win, evening their record at 21-21.

Compiled by Keith Jenkins, director, sports information. For up-to-date news about Washington University's athletics program, access the Bears' Web site at bearsports.wustl.edu.