#21 Softball tops Shockers 2-1 in 10 innings

May 6, 2007

By Matt Crouch
www.SIUSalukis.com

CARBONDALE, Ill. - With the bases loaded in the bottom of the 10th inning, freshman second baseman Alicia Garza shot a RBI single to the right side, scoring Krystal Stein to give the No. 21 Southern Illinois University softball team a thrilling 2-1 win Sunday at Charlotte West Stadium.

With the win, SIU (38-13, 17-7 MVC) secures the No. 3 seed in the State Farm / Missouri Valley Conference Tournament, set for May 10-12 in Normal, Ill., and will play at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday May 10, against the winner of the Bradley-Missouri State game.

Wichita State (36-27, 18-9 MVC) will take on the winner of Evansville-Indiana State in the other quarterfinal game.

With all of the cancelled games in the past month, the Salukis and Shockers definitely made up for it over the weekend, going into extra innings in all three games of the series.

WSU won the first game, 5-3 in 10 innings, and followed up with a 2-1 win in 12 innings in the second game of the doubleheader.

"As a coach, you always try to find the right words to say when you are in a little bit of a losing streak. It's hard sometimes, but I thought out kids responded well today. We are fortunate to have two kids that are pitching so well and can keep us in ball games," said SIU head coach Kerri Blaylock of her team's response to Saturday's losses.

The losses on Saturday, couple with Southern's losses last weekend at Illinois State, put the Salukis on a four-game losing streak, the team's longest of the season.

Pitching and defense did the job for Southern Illinois on Sunday, but it was a sophomore and a freshman that sealed the deal for the Salukis at the plate.

After giving up a run in the top of the third inning on a pair of base hits, sophomore Katie Schmidt stepped in to lead off the bottom of the fifth for SIU as a pinch-hitter for SIU starting pitcher Cassidy Scoggins.

Making her first plate appearance of the day, Schmidt took a cut at the first pitch she saw to send her second home run of the season over the fence in right-center, tying the game up at 1-1.

"I'm so proud of Katie Schmidt," said Blaylock. "I think that our kids come in and understand that it is their opportunity to do something for the team and they take advantage of that like Schmidtty did today."

Following Schmidt's home run, the teams went scoreless through the next four innings, taking the game into extra inning for the third consecutive time.

Not only did Southern Illinois hold the Shockers scoreless during that period, but Saluki reliever Ashley Hamby, who came in during the sixth inning, kept WSU hitless during her time in the circle.

The scoreless streak came to an end in the bottom of the 10th, though, as SIU used some defensive miscues by Wichita State, along with some timely hitting, to take care of the win.

Stein led off the inning, working reliever Ashly Bright to a full count before drawing a walk.

WSU second baseman Brooke Usher fielded Tiffanie Dismore's sacrifice bunt attempt and tried for the double play, but missed the tag on Stein, allowing Dismore to reach base safely and give the Salukis a pair of baserunners with no outs.

Still working for the sacrifice as Lauren Haas stepped up to bat, Shocker first baseman Lisa Jones bobbled the bunt and recorded and error as Haas reached safely, loading the bases for Garza.

Garza, the only Saluki to finish the game with multiple hits, stepped in and worked a 1-1 count before sending Bright's third pitch to right field, bringing Stein in from third for the 2-1 win.

"Ashley Hamby and Cassidy Scoggins pitched very well to keep us in the and Garza came up in the clutch again," said Blaylock.

"Garza is one of the most clutch freshman we have ever had here at SIU, I can tell you that."

Hamby and Scoggins did team up for an impressive pitching performance, keeping the Shockers off the scoreboard in the crucial late innings.

Hamby earned the win in her relief effort, improving to 16-5 on the season. She threw a no-hitter in her five innings of work, striking out two along the way. Hamby gave up a walk to the first batter that she faced, Cynthia Verhulst, but then mowed through the Shockers throughout the rest of the game, sitting down the next 15 batters in order.

Scoggins got the start and went five innings for the Salukis. She gave up five hits and a walk for one run while striking out two of the 21 batters she faced.

Wichita State went with Margo Pruis for the start and she worked the Saluki lineup well, striking out six in her six innings of work. She gave up three walks and three hits, one of which was Schmidt's solo homer to tie the game in the fifth.

Bright came in for Pruis in the seventh inning and finished out the game for the Shockers, eventually taking the loss and falling to 10-11 on the season. Bright struck out two Salukis while giving up a walk and three hits for one run.

Southern Illinois ended up out-hitting Wichita State, a first of the series, topping the Shockers 6-5 in the hits column.

Check back to SIUSalukis.com for more information this week regarding the State Farm / MVC Tournament.

NOTES: - Sunday's game marks the fifth consecutive meeting between SIU and Wichita State that has gone into extra innings. All three this season went more than seven innings with the lone meeting in 2006 ending in a 4-2, eight-inning win and the final meeting for 2005 finishing in a 2-1, eight-inning SIU win... The Salukis finish third in the MVC with a 17-7 record, the third time under Blaylock the Salukis have finished in third place... The last time Southern finished 17-7 in the Valley was 2002, also a third-place finish.

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Alicia Garza

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Katie Schmidt

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Alicia Garza

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