Southern Illinois University
19-4, 5-1
Drake
12-16, 3-3
Softball falls to Drake 3-2 in series finale
03/26/2006 | 12:00:00 | Softball
March 26, 2006
By Matt Crouch
www.siusalukis.com
DES MOINES, Iowa - Entering the seventh inning down in the score is not unfamiliar for the Southern Illinois University softball team, but leaving the game with a loss is. The Salukis (19-4, 5-1 MVC) struck first but fell behind against Drake (12-16, 3-3 MVC) and could not recover, allowing the Bulldogs to deal SIU its first Missouri Valley Conference of the season.
SIU swept Drake in Saturday's doubleheader. The Salukis won 2-1 in the first game off of a Chelsea Petty solo home run, and had to come from behind to pick up the 6-4 win in the second game.
Amanda Clifton got Southern Illinois on the board in the second inning as her single dropped in shallow right field, scoring Christina Andrews. Andrews was pinch-running for freshman Jayme Wamsley, who hit her third double of the season to get on base.
The Bulldogs came back to tie up the game on a double of their own in the bottom of the third inning.
Lindsay Larry's double down the right-field line scored Kristin Birocci from second base, tying the game at 1-1. Birocci singled to get on base and went to second on a passed ball.
Drake struck again in the bottom of the fourth inning, putting two more on the board to take a 3-1 lead.
Birocci, who scored Drake's run in the third inning, hit a double off of the top of the fence in right-center, scoring Emily Hajduk and Marilyn Buss. Hajduk hit a double of her own to get on base while Buss got on because of a Lauren Haas error.
Haas took a cut into the lead in the top of the sixth inning as her cut on Jessica Hicks' pitch landed beyond the left-center fence for a solo home run, cutting the Bulldog lead to one.
Following Haas' home run, Drake centerfielder Hajduk lost Louis' high fly ball, allowing her to advance to third base. Clare Ford came in to run for Louis but didn't get the chance to score the game-tying run before the inning was out.
Drake held on in the seventh inning, not allowing an SIU run, to pick up the win.
Hicks earns the win for Drake, striking out five batters while giving up two runs and five hits in six innings. Cassie Heller earned the save, giving up only one hit in her one inning in the circle.
Scoggins takes the complete-game loss for the Salukis. She struck out six Bulldogs while giving up one earned run and six hits.
The Salukis return to action Wednesday, March 29 with a doubleheader against the University of Tennessee at Martin. Action is set to begin at 3 p.m. at Charlotte West Stadium.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: HICKS (6-7)
L: Scoggins, Cassidy (11-4)
S: HELLER (3)
Batting:
2B: Wamsley, Jayme 1
3B: Stein, Krystal 1
HR: Haas, Lauren 1
RBI: Haas, Lauren 1 ; Clifton, Amanda 1
SH: Stein, Krystal 1 ; Roney, Lauren 1 ; Haas, Lauren 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Haas, Lauren 1 ; Andrews, Christina 1
HBP: Louis, Katie 1
Batting:
2B: LARRY 1 ; HAJDUK 1 ; BIROCCI 1
RBI: LARRY 1 ; BIROCCI 2
SH: COOK 1
Base Running:
RUNS: HAJDUK 1 ; BUSS 1 ; BIROCCI 1
SB: BUSS 1
CS: COOK 1
PO: BUSS 1
