#24/25 Softball splits doubleheader with Creighton

April 22, 2006

By Matt Crouch
www.siusalukis.com

CARBONDALE, Ill. - The #24/25 Southern Illinois University softball team (33-9, 14-6 MVC) suffered its first back-to-back loss of the season after it fell to Creighton (20-22, 8-11 MVC) 2-1 in the first game of Saturday's doubleheader, but the Salukis rebounded in the second game to get back to its winnings ways with an 8-2 victory.

It was also Senior Day at Charlotte West Stadium with the Salukis paying tribute to their four seniors: Christina Andrews, Samantha Carter, Katie Louis and Lauren Roney.

"They (the seniors) came in and were babies when they were freshmen and now they have matured into fine young ladies. They mean the world to me and I know they will do really well in life. They are very unselfish kids; they know what it takes to be a winner," said SIU head coach Kerri Blaylock.

As for the games, after losing at Evansville earlier this week, 3-2, the Salukis suffered back-to-back losses for the first time this season in its 2-1 loss to Creighton.

"Creighton did exactly what they wanted to do, they came out and attacked us and we were kind of stunned and we taken back a little bit but we had to get some footing and come back in the second game," said Blaylock of the loss in the day's opening game.

"We are an extremely young team and no one realizes that, we had to overcome a lot of obstacles and these kids have a lot of heart as you can see."

But, after adjusting to Creighton's hitting and making a few offensive adjustments, the Salukis were able to come out and take control early in the second game, picking up the 8-2 win.

"I got on them in between games and told them to settle down. We just needed that one hit and when Lauren Roney hit that two-out double, it really got us going in that second game," said Blaylock.

"Our defense was a completely different the second game - Becky Wegmann , Katie Louis, and Samantha Carter started to make some really good plays."

The Salukis return to action Sunday at 12 p.m. with the final game of the three-game Missouri Valley Conference series with Creighton. It is also SIU's final home game of the season.

Game 1: SIU - 1, Creighton - 2
For the second game in a row it was a two-run home run that proved detrimental to SIU. With two strikes on her and two outs in the inning, Creighton's Jessica German sent a shot over the right-field fence to give the Bluejays an early 2-0 lead in the first inning.

The Salukis answered with a run of its own in the bottom of the first as Tiffanie Dismore scored on a Lauren Haas double to close the gap to 2-1.

That would be SIU's only run, though as the rest of the game turned into a defensive exhibition, allowing Creighton to hold on for the win.

The Salukis avoided a scare in the top of the third inning as the Bluejays threatened to put a few more runs on the board. With the bases loaded and no outs, Creighton's Lau Emmsley-Chang popped a shot up to Haas at third base, allowing the sophomore from Bremerton, Wash. to make the tag on Lauren Cisneros as she came down.

Dismore caught a fly ball on the next at bat to end the inning with no more runs allowed.

Junior Cassidy Scoggins took the loss in the game for SIU. She pitched the complete game, giving up nine hits and two runs. She struck out three batters in the game.

Cassidy Nee got the start for Creighton but only faced two batters. She gave up one walk and was replaced by Stephanie Cortese. Cortese (10-7) pitched the remainder of the game, picking up nine strikeouts while giving up five hits and four walks.

Game 2: SIU - 8, Creighton - 2
Creighton didn't let up in the second game as it once again came out with two first-inning runs. With two outs and two runners on, Cisneros sent a double to left field to score two runs and give the Bluejays a 2-0 lead heading into the bottom of the first inning.

Not wanting a repeat of the first game, the Salukis came out ready to play in the bottom of the first.

Nee once again got the start and was again pulled after throwing six straight balls, allowing Dismore to pick up a leadoff walk and put Krystal Stein halfway there.

With two balls on Stein, Laura Fonda came in to relieve Nee. She went on to walk Stein, giving SIU a pair of base runners.

After a sacrifice bunt by Haas, Amanda Clifton picked up another walk to load the bases full of Salukis. Senior Lauren Roney took care of that pretty quick after Clifton got on base as with two outs she hit a double to right-center, scoring all three runners and giving SIU its first lead of the day.

Becky Wegmann followed up with a single, scoring Roney and giving the Salukis a 4-2 lead after the first inning.

Three base hits and a walk in the second inning kept the Salukis going as the team put two more runs on the board.

After being walked in the first inning, Clifton came back up to the plate ready for a hit. She would definitely get her chance as she sent a single up the middle, scoring Haas on the play.

Roney picked up her fourth RBI of the game, a career high, as she stepped up next and hit a single to left field that scored Katie Louis, giving SIU a 6-2 lead.

SIU wouldn't score again until the sixth inning when it scored two more runs to solidify the 8-2 win.

This time it was Becky Wegmann stepping up as she hit a two-run double to left-center, scoring Roney and Jayme Wamsley.

Fonda took the loss for Creighton, falling to 2-4 on the season. She struck out one batter while giving up five walks, 13 hits and seven runs. Bluejay starter Nee was responsible for the first run of the game.

Ashley Hamby got the start for SIU, but it was Scoggins that came away with the win, improving to 24-8 on the season.

Hamby and Scoggins each had three strikeouts in the game as neither gave up a walk. Hamby gave up three hits and both Creighton runs while Scoggins gave up two hits of her own.

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Tiffanie Dismore

Amanda Clifton

Chelsea Petty

Lauren Haas

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