Southern Illinois University
Sacramento St
Stremsterfer's Late Game Heroics Doom Sacramento State
03/14/2001 | 12:00:00 | Softball
March 10, 2001
Sunnyvale, Calif. -
Erin Stremsterfer hit the game-winning single in the bottom of the eighth inning to lead Southern Illinois University to a 2-1 win over Sacramento State Saturday night in the 15th Annual National Invitational Softball Tournament at Twin Creeks Sports Complex.
With the win, the Salukis advance to the consolation championship to be played Sunday at 2 p.m. SIU, who is 2-0 in the consolation bracket, could either face Sacramento State, San Jose State, or Santa Clara in the fight for the title.
SIU took a 1-0 lead over Sacramento State in the bottom of the fourth inning when an Amanda Rexroat double scored Tahira Saafir from second who pinch ran following a Julie Meier single.
After being held scoreless for five consecutive innings, Sacramento State's Jillian Bivert sent a solo home run over the right field wall and just like that, the score was tied at 1-1.
Following a pitching change which called on Stremsterfer to relieve Saluki starter Katie Kloess, SIU was then able to get out of its jam.
After both teams went scoreless in the seventh, Sacramento led off the top of the eighth as the international tie breaker was called to order. Bivert was automatically placed on second for the Hornets, but was stranded as the SIU defense gathered three consecutive outs.
In the bottom of the eighth, Hallahan was then placed on second. Following a wild pitch which advanced Hallahan to third, Haley Viefhaus reached on a walk. With no one out and runners on the corners, Stremsterfer calmly stepped in and delivered a rocket to center to give the Salukis the 2-1 win.
Stremsterfer threw 2.2 innings of relief to pick up the win as she moved to 7-2. In her two and two-thirds innings of work, she struck out five batters in 10 faced. Kloess threw the first 5.1 frames allowing six hits and one earned run while striking out two. Offensively, Jenny Guenther, Meier, Stremsterfer, and Rexroat combined for the Salukis' four hits.
