Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Southern Illinois University
15-3, 1-0
Northern Iowa
7-14-1, 0-1
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Runs R | Hits H | Errors E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Iowa | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| Southern Illinois | 2 | 7 | 2 | 1 | X | 12 | 13 | 0 |
Softball sweeps Northern Iowa in MVC-opening doubleheader
03/18/2006 | 12:00:00 | Softball
March 18, 2006
By Matt Crouch
www.siusalukis.com
CARBONDALE, Ill. - The Southern Illinois University softball team opened Missouri Valley Conference play Saturday with two very different performances. The Salukis (16-3, 2-0 MVC) dominated Northern Iowa (7-15-1, 0-2 MVC) in the opener, winning 12-0 in five innings, but had to come from behind in the seventh inning to pull out the 6-5 win in the second game of the series.
SIU will face the Panthers again Sunday at 12 p.m. for the final game of the three-game series. The Salukis have dominated Northern Iowa in recent years, having not lost to the Panthers since March 24, 2001.
"I can tell you what, I can't believe what we have done already this year. We truly are the cardiac kids; we have come back from behind so many times and won. I told them it is a season's worth in 19 games," said SIU Head Coach Kerri Blaylock about her team's come-from-behind win.
"It's amazing they don't ever, ever quit. We just did it against UC Davis out in California, down to our last at bat and two outs again."
Blaylock says though coming back like the team has been stays in opponents minds, it can be frustrating
"What it does; it gets in the mind of other teams because they know we don't quit. I would be scared as a pitcher because we never quit. I was a little aggravated through the first four innings because I didn't think we have quality at bats, but we really stepped it up in the end," said Blaylock.
Coming up huge for Southern Illinois in Saturday's games were Samantha Carter and junior pitcher Cassidy Scoggins.
Carter had three hits and two RBI in the two games, including the game-winner in the second game.
"Sammy told me yesterday in practice, `Coach its conference time' and she hit .375 in conference last year and she was a .200 hitter before that. She said `I'm going to get it done, Coach.' When they believe, that is all it takes; they believe they can get it done," said Blaylock.
Scoggins picked up the win for SIU in both games. She pitched a complete game in the first game and came in to relieve Hamby in the second game to pick up the win.
"Cassidy threw great today; she hasn't thrown all week because of an injury and trying to get it simmered down a little bit. So, for her to step up and do what she did today was great," said Blaylock.
Game 1: SIU - 12, UNI - 5 (5 innings)
In the first game, SIU came out firing from the start. The Salukis scored two runs in the bottom of the first inning to take an early lead.
Tiffanie Dismore scored SIU's first run after an error by UNI's catcher Stefaney Shalla. Dismore was walked to get on base and moved to second and third bases on passed balls.
The Salukis' second run came after a Katie Louis double to left center. Louis's hit scored freshman Katie Schmidt, who was pinch-running for Chelsea Petty. Petty was walked to get on base.
SIU really exploded in the second inning, posting seven runs and taking a commanding 9-0 lead.
Following a Katie Wagner strikeout, the Salukis rattled off three straight base hits to put two runs on the board. Dismore doubled to left center and was followed by a Carter single. Petty then came up to bat and placed a double in right center to score Dismore and Carter.
The Salukis then loaded the bases after a Jayme Wamsley walk and a singled by Katie Louis. With the bases loaded, Panther starting pitcher Uju Ibekwe walked Clifton, scoring Petty and giving SIU a 5-0 lead.
Liz Adams then came in to relieve Ibekwe and walked Lauren Roney to score Haas. Haas was pinch-running for Wamsley on the play.
With the bases still loaded, sophomore Becky Wegmann stepped up and fired a three-run double to right-center, scoring Roney, Clifton and Louis on the play to give SIU a 9-0 lead.
Louis and Haas scored again for SIU in the third inning, putting SIU up 11-0. Haas singled to get on base while Louis was walked. Both came in on a single by Roney and an error by Panther leftfielder Nikki Ferden.
Carter scored SIU's final run in the bottom of the fourth inning, in what would become a familiar situation. She doubled to get on base, but was able to score following an Alex Pepin single and an error by UNI centerfielder Mandy Kumamoto.
Scoggins picked up the win for SIU in the first game. She pitched a complete game, giving up only three hits while striking out nine batters and walking two.
Ibekwe takes the loss for UNI, giving up eight runs, all of which were earned, in her 1.1 innings pitched. Adams pitched the remaining 2.2 innings. They combined for four strikeouts while giving up 13 SIU hits and 12 runs.
Game 2: SIU - 6, UNI - 5
The second game of the doubleheader got off to a very different start as UNI's Rachael Rogers put the Panthers on the board with a solo home run in the top of the first inning.
Northern Iowa really exploded in the third inning, posting four runs for a 5-0 lead.
After three base hits, a walk and two runs in the top of the third inning, SIU starter Hamby was pulled in favor of freshman Katie McNamara.
McNamra was able to close out the inning, but not before a UNI double and two more runs.
Hamby re-entered the game in the fourth inning and avoided a scare in the top of the fifth as the bases were loaded with only one out. But she was able to hold on and get the next two batters out to keep the score at 5-0 heading into the bottom of the fifth inning.
The fifth inning was all SIU as Wamsley led off to get things going with a double to right center. Senior Christina Andrews came in to pinch-run for Wamsley and moved to third as Roney reached on an error by UNI shortstop Rogers.
Krystal Stein singled to get on base and move Roney to second, leaving the bases loaded for Dismore.
Dismore then cranked a triple to right-center, scoring Andrews, Roney and Stein. Dismore was able to cut the lead to 5-4 as she scored on a sacrifice fly by Carter.
In a scene reminiscent to SIU's extra-inning, come-from-behind win over UC Davis, the Salukis came into the bottom of the seventh inning down by a run and staring down a loss.
Scoggins, who had replaced Hamby in the circle during the sixth inning, led off the inning with a double to left center.
Stein wasn't able to get anything going as she fouled out to the catcher and Dismore grounded out to second base, leaving Carter at bat with two outs in the bottom of the seventh with the tying run on base.
Carter responded with a single to center field, scoring Scoggins and tying the game. But an error by Kumamoto allowed Carter to round the bases and cross home plate, giving SIU the 6-5 win.
Monica Wright pitched the complete game loss for UNI. She struck out six Salukis while giving up eight hits and six runs.
Scoggins earns the win for SIU, pitching the last 1.1 innings. She struck out three of the five batters she faced, walking one while not giving up a hit.
Hamby finished the game with two strikeouts, three walks, eight hits and all five UNI runs in her 4.1 innings pitched. McNamara struck out one batter, walking two in her 1.1 innings of action.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Scoggins, Cassidy (8-3)
L: IBEKWE (3-6)
Base Running:
SB: RUZICKA 1
Batting:
2B: Dismore, Tiffanie 1 ; Carter, Samantha 1 ; Petty, Chelsea 1 ; Louis, Katie 1 ; Wegmann, Becky 1
RBI: Petty, Chelsea 2 ; Louis, Katie 1 ; Clifton, Amanda 1 ; Roney, Lauren 3 ; Wegmann, Becky 3
SH: Carter, Samantha 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Dismore, Tiffanie 2 ; Carter, Samantha 2 ; Petty, Chelsea 1 ; Schmidt, Katie 1 ; Haas, Lauren 2 ; Louis, Katie 2 ; Clifton, Amanda 1 ; Roney, Lauren 1
SB: Dismore, Tiffanie 1 ; Carter, Samantha 1 ; Schmidt, Katie 1
