Southern Illinois University
28-6, 9-0
Creighton
24-7, 6-1
#18/20 Softball shoots down the Bluejays, 3-1
03/31/2007 | 12:00:00 | Softball
March 31, 2007
By Matt Crouch
www.SIUSalukis.com
OMAHA, Neb. - Timely hits and a Creighton error allowed the No. 18/20 Southern Illinois University softball team (28-6, 9-0 MVC) to remain unbeaten in the Missouri Valley Conference with a 3-1 win over the Bluejays (24-7, 6-1 MVC).
Saturday's game was supposed to be the first of a doubleheader, but the second game was cancelled because of a heavy rain storm that passed through Omaha shortly after the completion of the first game.
Southern Illinois and Creighton will play a doubleheader at 11 a.m. Sunday at the Creighton Sports Complex.
The Salukis extend their winning streak to 10 games with Saturday's win, the longest winning streak of the season for SIU.
SIU head coach Kerri Blaylock said she was proud of her team for coming out swinging early in the game to take control at one of the toughest venues in the Valley.
"Every game here is going to be a dog fight, so to come out today and get the first win felt really good. I thought we set the tone early with a big two-out hit by Becky Wegmann that we were able to score off of Oltman and that helped our approach the entire day," said Blaylock.
The road trip to Creighton is one of the toughest of the season for the Salukis as Omaha, Neb. is geographically one of the longest treks to make.
"This is a tough place to play. This is a tough road trip whether it be the 10-hour bus ride, the Astroturf or any of the other excuses you can come up with. I was really proud of the kids for coming out ready to play and setting the tone early," said Blaylock.
As for the weather, the teams took shelter in Creighton's clubhouse after the completion of the first game to wait out the weather warnings. After waiting for about an hour and a half, the decision was made to call of Saturday's second game in lieu of a Sunday doubleheader.
"The kids handled it well in the rain delay. They ate, which is very important to them, they took extra cuts in the cage and kept themselves busy and focused. Rain is another uncontrollable, but they are ready to come out tomorrow and play two games," said Blaylock.
Southern jumped on the board first in the top of the second inning to take a 2-0 lead.
Sophomore Jayme Wamsley led off with a routine grounder to Bluejay shortstop Bailey Dawson, but her throw to first baseman Jessica German sailed too high as Wamsley reached safely.
Freshman Katie Wilson then joined her on base after drawing her 16th walk of the season to give SIU a pair of baserunners. Both moved in to scoring position on the next at-bat as Katie Wagner grounded out to Dawson.
With two runners on, Becky Wegmann took a swing at a two-strike pitch, sending the ball to the gap in left-center. The ball hit the artificial turf at the Creighton Sports Complex and bounced out of play for a ground-rule double, scoring both Wilson and Katie Schmidt, who was pinch-running for Wamsley.
Southern Illinois extended the lead in the top of the fourth inning, again with Wamsley leading off at the plate.
The Hermitage, Tenn. native took a cut at a 2-0 pitch for her sixth home run of the season, ninth of her career. With the home run, Wamsley has now hit a homer in each of SIU's three MVC series.
Creighton cut in to the 3-0 Saluki lead in the bottom of the fourth with a home run of its own. T.J. Eadus ripped a two-strike pitch to right-center to put the Bluejays on the board and cut the lead to 3-1.
The home run also broke up SIU pitcher Cassidy Scoggins' scoreless inning streak at 27.
Creighton would threaten to score again in the bottom of the seventh as Caitlin Marcano, who got the Bluejays' first hit in the second inning, picked up her second of the day on a double to the left-field wall.
With one out, a baserunner on and the game-tying run at the plate, Scoggins maintained her composure to get a ground out by German and struck out pinch-hitter Renae Sinkler to get SIU out of the game with the win.
The game was expected to be a battle of two of the top pitchers in the MVC this season and it held up to predictions.
Scoggins improves to 14-3 on the season with the win. She had eight strikeouts in the complete-game win, allowing four hits for one run and no walks.
Creighton's Tara Oltman falls to 14-3 with the loss. She gave up four Saluki hits for three runs, only one of which was earned, while striking out seven batters and walking one.
NOTES: - With her hit in Saturday's game, freshman Alicia Garza is now riding a 10-game hitting streak, Southern's longest of the season... This win by SIU is only the second time in series history that the Salukis have won the first game of a series at Creighton... SIU now trails in the series all-time, 17-21.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Scoggins, Cassidy (14-3)
L: Oltman, Tara (14-3)
Batting:
2B: Wegmann, Becky 1
HR: Wamsley, Jayme 1
RBI: Wamsley, Jayme 1 ; Wegmann, Becky 2
SH: Wamsley, Jayme 1 ; Haas, Lauren 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Wamsley, Jayme 1 ; Schmidt, Katie 1 ; Wilson, Katie 1
Batting:
2B: Marcano, Caitlin 1
HR: Eadus, TJ 1
RBI: Eadus, TJ 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Eadus, TJ 1
