ST. LOUIS — For former Dutchgirl softball player Katie Pilgram, her senior season at Westminster College in Fulton has gotten off to a bumpy start.

Former Owensville Dutchgirl and lone Westminster senior Katie Pilgram delivers a pitch in Good Friday action against Maryville University in St. Louis. Pilgram and the Blue Jays saw Maryville take both games of their doubleheader by scores of 11-0 and 6-1.

Good Friday was not so good for the Blue Jays as Maryville University’s Saints swept the Lady Jays in a non-conference softball doubleheader by scores of 11-0 and 6-1.

“It’s nice to get back over the .500 mark with a sweep against a conference foe,” Maryville coach Charlie Kennedy. “I feel bad for Westminster as they are young and haven’t quite figured out how to win. They have the potential to sneak up on teams later in the season.”

Game one started out as a pitcher’s duel between Westminster’s Ashley Belfield and Maryville’s Erin Clark.

Both pitchers combined to allow just two hits and no runs over the first two innings of the game.

As the top of the third inning rolled around, Westminster benefited from two walks to set up a two on, two out situation for Pilgram. Pilgram won the battle and walked to load the bases. However, Blue Jay catcher Shayla Gambon grounded out to end the Westminster rally and keep the game scoreless.

Big innings often decide games and the bottom of the third did exactly that as Maryville cashed in six hits and three Westminster errors for eight runs and an 8-0 lead through three innings.

After holding Westminster scoreless in the top of the fourth, Maryville padded their lead with three runs on four hits to add some icing to their cake in the form of an 11-0 lead after four innings.

Despite a leadoff single from Emily Masso (Linn, Mo.), Westminster wasn’t able to score as they fell in game one via the mercy rule by an 11-0 final score in five innings.

In the nightcap, Pilgram took to the pitching rubber looking to garner Westminster’s first win of the 2008 season.

Maryville had other ideas as they tallied four runs in the bottom of the first on three hits and a Blue Jay error.

Inning number two started with a leadoff single from Gambon as she was retired when Pilgram reached on a fielder’s choice. Pilgram was left stranded at first as Westminster’s next batter popped out to end the inning.

Third-inning action saw the Blue Jays get on the board with a run on a hit and a Maryville error to narrow the Saint’s lead to 4-1.

Maryville didn’t take long to produce an answer as they scored twice in the bottom of the fourth on three hits and an error to bump their lead up to 6-1.

Both defenses settled down as no more runs were scored and Maryville secured a doubleheader sweep to improve to 11-9 on the season with a 6-1 win in game two.

Pilgram (0-2) took the complete-game loss giving up six runs (four of them earned) on nine hits and two walks.

“Katie (Pilgram) knows what it’s like to be a Jay and the rest of the team doesn’t quite know what it’s like yet,” Westminster coach Nicole Stacey said. “Katie has worked hard for me over the last couple of years and she has been a proved leader on and off the field.”

Westminster (0-12) will continue their quest towards their first win of the year when they host Central (Iowa) for a home doubleheader on Friday, March 28, with game one beginning at 3 p.m.