#25 Softball completes sweep with 7-0 shutout win over Indiana State

Calendar

Sep 21

1 PM

Softball

Jefferson College

Sep 27

1 PM

Softball

St. Charles CC

Oct 5

1 PM

Softball

Parkland College

Oct 5

3 PM

Softball

Illinois Central College

April 15, 2006

Box Score

By Matt Crouch
www.siusalukis.com

CARBONDALE, Ill. - The #25 Southern Illinois University softball team used one of its best hitting performances of the season, along with another complete-game shutout victory at the hands of Cassidy Scoggins to pull off the three-game sweep of Indiana State Saturday, 7-0.

The Salukis (31-7, 13-4 MVC) swept the Sycamores (18-20, 6-11 MVC) 2-0 and 5-3 in Friday's doubleheader.

Southern Illinois used nine hits in Saturday's single game, six of which were for extra bases, to get the win.

"Today was just a great day. I thought we started to kick it up in the second game of the series and it just carried over to today. I thought Lauren Haas had a tremendous week at the plate, and I think Amanda Clifton stepped it up today and started us with that home run," said SIU head coach Kerri Blaylock.

"Also, I think the play by Krystal Stein gunning her down at the plate, Samantha Carter's catch on that little flair hit and Lauren Haas on the bunt. . . I think that if we keep doing that we will win more games."

The Salukis were also able to get it done in the circle, led by junior Cassidy Scoggins. She finishes the week with a 5-0 record and a 0.00 ERA along with 36 strikeouts in her 28 innings pitched.

"I think Cassidy Scoggins had a great week, maybe she felt a little gassed but she will have a two-day rest and I think that really helps a pitcher. Right now Cassidy doesn't need practice, she just needs to rest," said Blaylock.

For the second time this season, SIU sent three home runs out of Charlotte West Stadium en route to a win.

Clifton got things going in the bottom of the second inning as she sent a solo home run over the left-field fence to put the Dawgs up 1-0.

The Salukis avoided a scare in the top of the third as Scoggins got into some trouble as an Indiana State hit and two hit batters left the bases loaded full of Sycamores with only one out.

SIU's defense stepped up, though, as Stein caught a fly ball hit by Stephanie Spychaj and followed it up by firing the ball to Clifton at home, making the tag on Christina Myers at the plate.

SIU extended the lead to 2-0 in the fourth inning as Haas got the first of her two hits on a leadoff triple to right-center field. She scored on the next at bat as freshman Jayme Wamsley hit a sacrifice fly to center field, scoring Haas.

SIU's offense really heated up in the bottom of the fifth inning, beginning with Tiffanie Dismore hitting a leadoff single. Stein followed it up with a fielder's choice with Dismore being thrown out on the play.

But, SIU still ended up with a runner in scoring position as Stein stole second while senior Lauren Roney was at bat.

She was then able to score on Katie Louis' double to left-center. Clare Ford then came in to pinch-run for Louis.

With Ford on second, Haas fired off her second hit of the day - a two-run home run to left field, her fifth of the season. Haas' homer gave SIU a 5-0 lead going into the sixth inning.

The Salukis were not done yet though, as with one out in the bottom of the sixth, Becky Wegmann hit her second home run of the season, SIU's third of the game, giving the Salukis a 6-0 lead.

Carter followed up Wegmann's home run with a walk and was able to score SIU's seventh run of the game on a combination of Stein's second hit of the day and an error by Sycamore center fielder Jackie Chomicki.

Indiana State's Darcy Wood falls to 15-11 on the season with the loss, her third of the series. She struck out four batters, giving up two walks, nine hits and seven runs. Six of the seven runs were earned with Carter's sixth-inning run being the exception.

"Darcy Wood was the second-best pitcher in the conference coming into this weekend and you can tell why. She has a nice rise, curve and fast ball and we really made an adjustment so we could hit her and it showed today," said Blaylock of Indiana State's top pitcher.

"We really got on her, we waited for the pitches we wanted and hit the ball."

Scoggins earns her third win of the series and improves to 22-6 on the season. She also picks up her 10th shut out win of the season.

She struck out eight batters in the game, giving up no walks and five hits in the complete-game appearance.

The Salukis return to action April 18 with the first of a pair of mid-week games. SIU will travel to Columbia, Mo. Tuesday, April 18 to play a single game with the University of Missouri. Action is set to begin at 2 p.m. in the game that was originally scheduled for earlier this season but had to be rescheduled because of inclement weather.

SIU will stay on the road following the game as it continues Missouri Valley Conference play with a single game at Evansville on Wednesday, April 19 at 5 p.m.

Calendar

Upcoming Events