Southern Illinois University
25-6
Tennessee-Martin
17-11
Softball Sweeps Tennessee-Martin With 6-2 Win In Nightcap
04/01/2004 | 12:00:00 | Softball
April 1, 2004
By Lou Antoine
SIUSalukis.com
MARTIN, Tenn. - Southern Illinois (25-6) scored five unanswered runs to come-from-behind and beat Tennessee-Martin (17-11) 6-2, completing a doubleheader sweep on Thursday in Martin, Tennessee. SIU extended its winning streak to 13 games and improved to 5-0 all-time against Tennessee-Martin, including a 4-0 mark under head coach Kerri Blaylock.
"It was huge to get a sweep today. You need to take care of your non-conference and midweek games. The NCAA committee is more understanding when you lose conference games, but not non-conference games you should win, they aren't so forgiving. I thought we did a really good job today. We came prepared and I hope we take it into the weekend against SMS," said Blaylock.
After being shut out in game one of the doubleheader, Tenn.-Martin came out swinging in game two. The Skyhawks scored in their first at bat after a leadoff double by Brandy Whalen off SIU's Ashley Hamby. Whalen scored from second on a throwing error by third baseman Haley Viefhaus following two strikeouts. Hamby struck out Angela Baize to end the inning by striking out the side.
Hamby didn't allow another run through four innings before Alison Thompson came on in relief in the fifth. The freshman struck out five, walked two and allowed three hits and two runs (one earned) to improve 5-1. Thompson picked up her third save with three innings of hitless relief, striking out four and walking one.
"I thought Ashley (Hamby) did a good job. They're (UTM) a good hitting team and she got us into the fifth inning before Ali (Thompson) came in and did a good job as well," Blaylock added.
The Saluki offense came right back, scoring runs in the second, third and fourth innings to take a 5-1 lead. SIU tied the game 1-1 in the second inning when Amanda Clifton singled with two outs to drive in Christina Andrews, who was running for Katie Jordan, after she led off with a walk and moved to second on a Haley Viefhaus sacrifice.
"What was important today is that we showed that we can counter when another team scores first. Amanda Clifton had a two-out hit and as a team we had a lot of big two-out hits today," stated Blaylock.
Southern took the lead in the third inning. Lauren Roney walked and Lindsey Bonnell singled with one out. After a fly out, Jordan doubled down the leftfield line, driving in Roney. Haley Viefhaus singled to drive in Bonnell with the winning run for a 3-1 lead.
The Salukis scored its fourth and fifth unanswered runs in the fourth inning to take a 5-1 lead. Clifton walked to open the inning, Maria Damico singled and Cassidy Scoggins reach on a fielder's choice, while Alex Pepin, running for Clifton was beating the throw to third on Scoggins' grounder to load the bases. After a strikeout, Samantha Carter drew a walk in a pinch-hitting role for Bonnell, driving in Pepin, for a 4-1 advantage. Jenny Doehring's grounder scored Damico, who beat the throw home by the shortstop for a 5-1 lead.
UTM scored a run in the fifth inning on a hit, an error and a passed ball to cut the lead to 5-2, but the Salukis responded again with Jordan's seventh home run of the season in the sixth inning, for the final 6-2 score.
Tenn.-Martin's Allison Buckley (4-4) gave up five runs, five hits and three walks with three strikeouts in three innings to get the loss. Megan Mizell (3 inns., 6 K's, 2 hits, run) and Holly Templeton (one inning, K) finished the game for the Skyhawks.
Jordan continued her hot hitting (2-for-3, HR, 2 RBI, run) and with help from Clifton (1-for-2, RBI), Haley Viefhaus (1-for-3, RBI), Doehring (RBI), Damico (1-for-4, run), Carter (RBI) and Scoggins (1-for-4), led SIU to its 13th straight win.
The Salukis now take their 5-0 MVC mark and 13-game win streak to SMS for a three-game series April 3-4.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Hamby (5-1)
L: Buckley (4-4)
S: Thompson (3)
Batting:
2B: Jordan 1
HR: Jordan 1
RBI: Carter 1 ; Doehring 1 ; Jordan 2 ; Viefhaus, H. 1 ; Clifton 1
SH: Viefhaus, H. 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Roney 1 ; Bonnell 1 ; Jordan 1 ; Andrews 1 ; Pepin 1 ; Damico 1
Batting:
2B: Whalen 1
SH: Mizell 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Whalen 1 ; Cordell 1
