Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Southern Illinois University
25-22, 11-8
Missouri State
24-16, 11-9
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | Runs R | Hits H | Errors E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southern Illinois | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 1 |
| Missouri State | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 2 |
Softball splits doubleheader at Missouri State Saturday
04/26/2008 | 12:00:00 | Softball
April 26, 2008
By Kyle Herm
www.SIUSalukis.com
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. - The Saluki softball team (25-22, 11-8 MVC) split their doubleheader against Missouri State in Springfield, Mo. Saturday afternoon. SIU let the series-opener slip away in the bottom of the seventh, 6-5, but took game two, 5-2.
The first game featured a total of five home runs between the two teams, and SIU seniors Becky Wegmann and Lauren Haas both went 2-for-3 with a homer to lead the Saluki offense.
In the second game Southern Illinois got a big lift with a three-run home run by junior outfielder Katie Schmidt, and freshman starter Nikki Waters went the distance in the circle en route to her 13th win.
SIU will look to win the series in the final game on Sunday beginning at 12 p.m. at the Missouri State Softball Field.
Game One - Missouri State 6 Southern Illinois 5
The Salukis led 5-4 into the bottom of the seventh, but Missouri State senior starting pitcher Melissa Porche hit a walk-off bases load two-RBI single to center field to give the Bears a 6-5 comeback victory.
Porche helped herself pick up win No. 15 on the season, while the Salukis' Katie McNamara suffered her third defeat in 4 1/3 innings for relief of freshman starter Danielle Glosson.
The loss continued SIU's losing streak to a season-long six games.
Southern Illinois started early with two runs without a hit in the top of the first after Porche walked five of the first eight batters she faced to allow two runs on a pair of bases loaded walks to put SIU up 2-0.
Missouri State responded in the bottom of the first with a two-out solo home run by Jessie Smith to cut the SIU lead in half, but the Salukis answered right back with a three-run top of the second to increase their lead by four, 5-1.
Senior shortstop Becky Wegmann led-off the inning with her first home run of the season over the left-center field fence, and after a double by leftfielder Tiffanie Dismore, senior first baseman Lauren Haas hit a two-run blast to right field for her sixth homer of the year.
The Bears stormed back in the bottom of the third with three runs on their second and third homers of the game. MSU's second baseman Jenna Schwark hit a one-out solo shot to cut into the deficit, 5-2, and after the Salukis brought in McNamara, Smith hit her second home run of the game with a runner on first to make it 5-4.
Following the first three inning slugfest, both pitchers held the game scoreless for the fourth, fifth and sixth innings before Missouri State came-from-behind in the bottom of the seventh.
"We hit the ball very well, but we didn't score past the second inning, which is something we have to do," said head coach Kerri Blaylock. "Mainly we just didn't pitch the ball very well in the first game."
Game Two - Southern Illinois 5 Missouri State 2
Southern Illinois jumped out to a quick 1-0 lead in the top of the first on a one-out RBI double by senior first baseman Lauren Haas. It was the third run driven in of the afternoon by Haas, who plated two runs on game one.
The Salukis added to their one-run lead with three runs in the top of the fourth.
With two outs and runners on first and second, junior outfielder Katie Schmidt smashed her fifth homer of the year to right-center field to put SIU up, 4-0.
Saluki freshman starter Nikki Waters recorded at least one strikeout, and only allowed two hits to freeze the Bears through five innings of play. The Hixson, Tenn. native only had to work out of one jam in the bottom of the third.
With one out and a runner on third base, Waters retired the Bears on a groundout and strikeout to end the scoring opportunity.
"I thought Nikki (Waters) did a tremendous job keeping us in the game, and offensively we attacked the ball really well," Blaylock said. "(Lauren) Haas hit the ball really well, and Katie Schmidt has been doing a fantastic job driving in runs."
Haas went 3-for-7 with a double, home run and three RBI in the two games, and Schmidt has recorded five RBI in her last three games.
Missouri State finally got to Waters and began a comeback attempt in the bottom of the sixth.
Shortsop Jessie Smith hit a run scoring single to right field with runners on the corners, and Michelle Armentrout followed with a RBI fielder's choice to bring the Bears within two, 4-2, but the Salukis pushed another run across on a MSU error and retired the Bears in the final frame to make the final, 5-2.
Waters picked up her first win since April 5 against Indiana State, and helped end the Salukis' season-long losing streak.
Junior third baseman Katie Wagner also recorded her team-best 14th multi-hit game of the season with a pair of singles.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Waters, Nikki (13-11)
L: McGinley (7-4)
Batting:
2B: Haas, Lauren 1
HR: Schmidt, Katie 1
RBI: Haas, Lauren 1 ; Schmidt, Katie 3
SH: Wamsley, Jayme 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Dismore, Tiffanie 1 ; Stein, Krystal 1 ; Garza, Alicia 1 ; Wagner, Katie 1 ; Schmidt, Katie 1
SB: Dismore, Tiffanie 1
Batting:
2B: Shewmaker 1 ; McGinley 1
RBI: Smith 1 ; Armentrout 1
SH: McGinley 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Arbon 1 ; Gammon 1
