Southern Illinois University
17-4, 2-1
Drake
13-10, 1-2
No. 19 Softball blanks Drake 3-0 to win series
03/15/2009 | 12:00:00 | Softball
March 15, 2009
By Kyle Herm
www.SIUSalukis.com
CARBONDALE, Ill. - Senior Katie McNamara and sophomore Danielle Glosson threw a combined two-hit shutout to lift the No. 19 Saluki softball team (17-4, 2-1 MVC) over Drake (13-10, 1-2 MVC) 3-0 on Sunday in the series finale at Charlotte West Stadium.
A day removed from tossing a combined one-hitter in yesterday's opening loss, the duo recorded nine strikeouts en route to the pitching staff's eighth shutout victory to help Southern Illinois win the series 2-1.
"Anytime you can win two-out-of-three after losing the opening game it's a great accomplishment," said head coach Kerri Blaylock. "I thought we figured some things out and really came to battle today to pick up the win."
The Salukis got the best of Drake starter Brynne Dordel, who shutout SIU in the series' first game, with three runs, on two hits and three walks.
"(Brynne) Dordel is a tremendous pitcher, and (Jenna) DeLong does a nice job," Blaylock said. "They don't throw a lot of strikes, but we approached them a little differently and had some better at bats to get that rally going."
Southern forced Dordel to throw nearly 70 pitches in three innings and only had one strikeout against the sophomore after she fanned 10 Saluki hitters in the opener.
SIU stranded a baserunner in the first and second innings before loading the bases with no outs in the third for the game-winning rally.
Senior catcher Jayme Wamsley drew a leadoff walk and freshman Alicia Junker and Haley Gorman reached on a fielder's choice and infield single to put the Bulldogs with their backs against the wall.
Freshman Mallory Duran then drove in the first run after reaching on an error, junior Alicia Garza blooped a RBI-single into right-centerfield, and junior Katie Wilson lifted a sacrifice fly into the leftfield corner to complete the three-run inning.
Blaylock said "small-ball" run production is what sometimes has to be done in order to win games against good pitching.
"You have to create, because when you're facing good pitching big, hard, hits are hard to come by," Blaylock said. "That's why you always have to be ready to make something happen."
McNamara earned her seventh win of the season after only allowing two hits with four strikeouts in four innings, and Glosson tallied her second save in three innings of no-hit ball with five Ks.
"I told the team it's hard to lose when you don't give up any runs," Blaylock said. "They (McNamara and Glosson) threw a one-hitter yesterday and came back with a two-hitter today. We talk about pitching and defense and I thought we did a good job."
Southern Illinois will continue MVC play on the road for a three-game series next weekend at Northern Iowa Saturday and Sunday, March 21-22.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: McNamara, Katie (7-1)
L: Dordel, Brynne (8-3)
S: Glosson, Danielle (2)
Batting:
SH: McClelland, Molly 1 ; Osborn, Mandy 1
Batting:
RBI: Duran, Mallory 1 ; Garza, Alicia 1 ; Wilson, Katie 1
SF: Wilson, Katie 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Gorman, Haley 1 ; Kennedy, Courtney 1 ; Junker, Alicia 1
SB: Duran, Mallory 1 ; Garza, Alicia 2
CS: Wilson, Katie 1
HBP: Schmidt, Katie 1
