Softball picks up doubleheader split at Illinois

Wednesday, April 30

Urbana, Ill.

6:00 PM

Southern Illinois University

27-23

Illinois

30-29

Southern Illinois

Illinois

05/01/2008 | 12:00:00 | Softball

Box Score

April 30, 2008

By Kyle Herm
www.SIUSalukis.com

Game One Box Score

Game Two Box Score

URBANA, Ill. - The Southern Illinois softball team (27-23, 12-8 MVC) split a doubleheader on Wednesday against the University of Illinois (30-29, 8-10 Big Ten) in Urbana, Ill. SIU won the first game 6-3, but fell in the nightcap, 4-0. The Salukis' series-opening win was the first against Illinois since 1980, and third against a Big Ten opponent this year.

Senior first baseman Lauren Haas recorded a double in game one, and singled in game two to extend her hitting streak to seven games, and senior Becky Wegmann went 4-for-6 with two runs batted in to lead the offense.

Southern Illinois will conclude the regular-season this weekend with a three-game Missouri Valley Conference series on the road at Bradley. The series begins with a doubleheader on Saturday, May 3 at 12 p.m., and concludes with a single game on Sunday, May 4 at noon.

Game One - Southern Illinois 6 Illinois 3
Southern Illinois freshman right-handed starter Danielle Glosson went toe-to-toe with one of the top offensive teams in the country, and other than giving up three solo home runs, held the Fighting Illini offense at bay with six strikeouts, for her seventh win of the season.

Glosson scattered four hits through the first four innings, before surrendering the solo shots to center and left field in the bottom of the fifth, sixth and seventh innings.

The Winston-Salem, N.C. native was able to keep the Orange and Blue off the bases though, which made their late-game colossal deep flys less harmful.

The Saluki offense, which was held quiet through the first four frames, broke open a scoreless game in the top of the fifth with four runs on five hits to take the lead, and provide Glosson with much-needed run support against a powerful Illini offense.

With no outs and runners on second and third, junior designated player Katie Schmidt started the scoring spree with a smashed opposite-field double off the left-field wall to put the Salukis up, 2-0.

Schmidt was thrown out at second after rounding the bag too far, but the out did not hinder the offensive surge.

Freshman pinch runner Chelsea Held scored from second base on a soft infield single by pinch-hitter Allie Hanson, and senior Krystal Stein, who re-entered the game for Hanson, came home on another infield single by sophomore second baseman Alicia Garza to put SIU up 4-0.

The Fighting Illini scored its first run in the fifth to cut its deficit to three, 4-1, after shortstop and national home run leader Angelena Mexicano hit tied the Big Ten Conference single-season record with her 23rd homer of the season.

SIU responded though with two more runs in the ensuing top of the sixth.

With one out and sophomore Katie Wilson on third and Schmidt on second, senior shortstop Becky Wegmann came up with another timely two-RBI double to put the Salukis up, 6-1.

Glosson gave back a run in the bottom of the sixth on a two-out solo home run by Hollie Pinchback, and another run on a leadoff homer by Makenzie Smith in the seventh, but closed out the game with a strikeout of Mexicano, followed by a popout and groundout to secure SIU's third win against a Big Ten opponent this season.

Fighting Illini sophomore left-handed starter Christine Christopoulos, who was making only her second start of the season, fell to 0-2 in the loss.

Game Two -Illinois 4 Southern Illinois 0
The nightcap of the doubleheader started similar to game one, with no runs and one hit through the first two innings, yet Illinois broke open the scoreless game this time with three runs on three hits in the bottom of the third.

Senior left fielder Makenzie Smith scored from third on a wild pitch by Saluki freshman starter Nikki Waters, and right fielder Hollie Pinchback plated two more runs on a two-out two-RBI double to right field to put the Orange and Blue up 3-0 after three innings.

The two runs on the double against Waters were deemed unearned though after a Southern Illinois error prolonged the inning.

The Salukis, who had limited opportunities against Illini starter Ashley Wright, had their best chance to get on the scoreboard in the top of the fourth, yet could not deliver a timely two-out hit.

With two outs and runners on second and third following a double by sophomore Katie Wilson, junior third baseman Katie Wagner smoked a hard line-drive right at Smith in left field to end the threat.

In the ensuing bottom of the fifth, Fighting Illini's shortstop Angelena Mexicano made history with her 24th home run of the season, which broke the Big Ten single season home run record, and made the final score, 4-0.

SIU, which had a runner on first with one out in each of the final two innings, was unable to put together a late inning rally, and stranded a total of six baserunners in the game.

Waters (13-12) allowed four runs, two earned, with three strikeouts in the defeat, while Wright improved to 8-7 with her second complete-game shutout of the season.