Southern Illinois University
Baylor
Saluki Softball Drops Third Straight to Baylor, 6-3
03/14/2001 | 12:00:00 | Softball
February 23, 2001
Las Cruces, N.M. -
Baylor University (16-4) combined for a total of 11 hits while holding Southern Illinois University scoreless for six straight innings en route to a 6-3 win late Friday night at the Troy Cox Invitational at Presley Askew Field.
After taking a 1-0 lead in the top of the second, the Bears scattered four hits in six straight at-bats to lead off the fourth inning which scored three runs to build a 4-0 lead. Kelly Fleming, Vanessa VandeBurgt, Ryan Stukel, and Naomi Fitzgerald were the four who sparked the rally.
Koral King then led off the top of the fifth with a solo home run to leftfield before an error by SIU shortstop Haley Viefhaus would score VandeBurgt who reached on a double earlier in the frame.
Trailing 6-0 in the bottom of the seventh, Erin Stremsterfer led off with a single down the leftfield line. A Netty Hallahan walk then moved Stremsterfer to second and both would advance again following a groundout to short by Adie Viefhaus. With runners on second and third, Jen Guenther then stepped in and drove one over the leftcenter wall to cut the Baylor lead to 6-3. Still not finished, Amanda Rexroat poked a two-out single to keep the rally going before Elissa Hopkins popped out to the second baseman to end the spurt.
Sophomore Katie Kloess took the loss on the mound falling to 1-1 on the year. Kloess pitched five innings allowing eight hits. Stremsterfer then struck out one batter while being touched for three hits in two innings of relief. Offensively, Stremsterfer led the Dawgs going 2-for-3 with a triple and one run scored. Guenther's (1-for-3, 3 RBI) three-run blast also marked the Salukis' first home run of the season.
SIU, now 1-3 will continue tournament play against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Satuday at 10:15 a.m.
