Southern Illinois University
36-9, 15-3
Northern Iowa
18-27, 4-12
#20/21 Softball goes extra-innings for sweep over Northern Iowa
04/22/2007 | 12:00:00 | Softball
April 22, 2007
By Matt Crouch
www.SIUSalukis.com
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa - After giving up an early lead, the No. 20/21 Southern Illinois University softball team had to rally back in the ninth inning to take a 10-5 win at Missouri Valley Conference foe Northern Iowa, completing the three-game sweep.
Katie Wilson highlighted the day, hitting a three-run home run in the bottom of the ninth inning to extend Southern's lead. The homer is her 13th of the season, ranking her third all-time at SIU in single-season home runs.
The Salukis (36-9, 15-3 MVC) racked up 13 hits on the day with senior pitcher Cassidy Scoggins tossing 10 strikeouts. It is only the second time this season that SIU has tallied both double digit strikeouts and double digit hits in the same game. The last time was on March 9 against Florida A&M.
Southern Illinois also hit two home runs in the game, with the first coming from Lauren Haas as she belted one in the first inning to give SIU a 2-0 lead. The game marks the 13th time this season that the Salukis hit multiple home runs in a game. It is the fourth time in Southern's last six games that it has happened.
The Salukis got off to a quick start in the game, scoring in the first inning on Haas' full-count, two-run home run that also brought in Becky Wegmann.
Northern Iowa's Ashley Lepley took control following the opening inning, shutting out the Salukis in the next seven innings.
The Panthers (18-27, 4-12 MVC) put together a late rally that eventually tied the game. UNI scored in the bottom of the sixth inning on a solo home run by Whitney Link. They followed it up in the bottom of the seventh with a pair of base hits that scored another Panther, sending the game in to extra innings.
The game was the sixth extra-inning game for Southern Illinois this season. The Salukis now hold a 4-2 record in extra-inning games.
Following a scoreless eighth inning, Southern Illinois opened the ninth on the attack by lighting Lepley up for six-straight base hits, scoring five runs in the process.
Alicia Garza hit a two-RBI single and was followed up by Haas with her RBI double. Lepley was pulled after Jayme Wamsley's two-RBI double down the left-field line that put SIU up 7-2.
The Salukis took no time in welcoming UNI reliever Liz Adams to the circle. After allowing Amanda Clifton to reach base on a four-pitch walk, Wilson knocked a three-run home run to extend the lead to 10-2.
After throwing only five pitches, Adams was pulled and Jen Larsen came in to finish the game. Following a pop out and a ground out, she got the Panthers out of the half-inning and back up to bat.
UNI came out swinging in their turn too, scoring three runs on a Lepley home run, but it was too little, too late as SIU held on for the 10-5 win.
Wegmann, Garza and Haas led Southern Illinois at the plate in the win, accounting for seven of the team's 13 runs.
Scoggins tallied her 19th complete game of the season as she improves to 19-6 with the win. She had 10 strikeouts in the game while giving up no walks and eight hits.
Lepley takes the loss for UNI, falling to 8-11 on the season. She struck out five Salukis in her 8.1 innings in the circle, giving up three walks and 12 hits.
SIU's other hit, Wilson's three-run home run, came off of Adams.
Southern Illinois takes some time off this week with no mid-week game, but returns to action on Saturday, April 28 with a three-game MVC series at Illinois State. Action is scheduled to begin with a doubleheader at 12 p.m. on Saturday at the Redbird Softball Complex.
NOTES: With the 1-1 tie between Creighton and Illinois State on Sunday, the Salukis are now in sole possession of first place in the MVC... Senior Amanda Clifton drew three walks in Sunday's game, giving her 28 on the season which ranks her seventh all-time at SIU in single-season walks.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Scoggins, Cassidy (19-6)
L: Ashley Lepley (8-11)
Batting:
2B: Haas, Lauren 1 ; Wamsley, Jayme 1 ; Stein, Krystal 1
HR: Haas, Lauren 1 ; Wilson, Katie 1
RBI: Garza, Alicia 2 ; Haas, Lauren 3 ; Wamsley, Jayme 2 ; Wilson, Katie 3
SH: Haas, Lauren 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Dismore, Tiffanie 1 ; Wegmann, Becky 2 ; Garza, Alicia 1 ; Haas, Lauren 2 ; Schmidt, Katie 1 ; Clifton, Amanda 1 ; Wilson, Katie 1 ; Stein, Krystal 1
SB: Garza, Alicia 1
HBP: Wegmann, Becky 1
Batting:
2B: Mandy Kumamoto 1
HR: Ashley Lepley 1 ; Whitney Link 1
RBI: Ashley Lepley 3 ; Jen Larsen 1 ; Whitney Link 1
SH: Ashley Lepley 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Megan Machovec 1 ; Mandy Kumamoto 2 ; Ashley Lepley 1 ; Whitney Link 1
CS: Brittany Ruzicka 1
HBP: Megan Machovec 1
