Southern Illinois University
25-8
Tennessee-Martin
25-18
No. 24 Softball upended by UT Martin 10-4
04/15/2009 | 12:00:00 | Softball
April 15, 2009
By Kyle Herm
www.SIUSalukis.com
MARTIN, Tenn. -A seven-run, six-hit opening inning propelled UT Martin (25-18) over the 24th-ranked Southern Illinois softball team (25-8) 10-4 Wednesday afternoon at Bettye Giles Field.
The Skyhawks set a program record with four home runs, including a grand slam in the first inning en route to their third straight win against the Salukis, after SIU won the first 10 meetings in the all-time series.
UT Martin's victory was also the first over a ranked opponent in its program's history.
Southern's conference-best pitching staff was uncharacteristically tagged in the opening frame, just days after recording back-to-back shutouts against Missouri State.
UT Martin plated a run on a line-drive single to left field and loaded the bases against starter Nikki Waters before head coach Kerri Blaylock brought in lefty senior Katie McNamara.
McNamara hit her first batter to allow the second run, and on a 3-0 pitch second baseman Greer Long hit a grand slam to right-center field to give the Skyhawks a shockingly quick 6-0 lead.
Sophomore Danielle Glosson replaced McNamara, and for the most part brought a halt to UT Martin's offensive blitzkrieg.
Jenny Bain finished off the surge with a RBI double to left field to put SIU into a decimating hole that they could not get out of.
After the first inning though, the Salukis went on to outscore UT Martin 4-3 and finished the game with a season-high 13 hits.
The Skyhawks added another run in the second, third and fifth innings by way of solo home runs from Laurie Lindow, another by Long and Megan Latimer.
Southern Illinois staged the first of two comeback attempts down 8-0 in the top of the third.
Senior Katie Wagner came five feet away from hitting a grand slam, but drove in a run on a deep sacrifice fly to right field for SIU's first run, and senior Katie Schmidt hit a RBI single to draw the team within six, 8-2.
Then, trailing 9-2, the Salukis got within five with two more runs in the fourth.
Three straight singles loaded the bases again, and freshman Haley Gorman and junior Alicia Garza hit back-to-back groundouts to second base to make it 9-4.
However, the rally attempt fell short after UT Martin starter Kara Harper held SIU scoreless for the final three frames to close out the game.
The loss overshadowed what otherwise was a solid offensive day for the Salukis even though they stranded 10 base runners.
Garza led the team with three hits, Schmidt continued her hit streak to four games with two hits, and eight different players recorded a base-knock.
Glosson finished with five strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings of relief, while Waters suffered only her second defeat of the season to fall to 10-2.
Southern Illinois will look to continue its conference-best seven-game MVC win streak this weekend with a three-game showdown at first place Creighton in Omaha, Neb.
The series opens with a noon doubleheader Saturday and concludes with a noon single game on Sunday.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: HARPER, Kara (10-7)
L: Waters, Nikki (10-2)
Batting:
RBI: Gorman, Haley 1 ; Garza, Alicia 1 ; Wagner, Katie 1 ; Schmidt, Katie 1
SF: Wagner, Katie 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Held, Chelsea 1 ; Gorman, Haley 1 ; Kennedy, Courtney 1 ; Duran, Mallory 1
SB: Schmidt, Katie 1
Batting:
2B: BAIN, Jenny 1 ; WILLIAMS, Me 1
HR: LINDOW, Laur 1 ; LONG, Greer 2 ; LATIMER, Meg 1
RBI: BAIN, Jenny 1 ; WILLIAMS, Me 1 ; LINDOW, Laur 1 ; ROBERTS, Lau 1 ; LONG, Greer 3 ; LATIMER, Meg 1
SH: VAN ARSDALE, 1
Base Running:
RUNS: BAIN, Jenny 1 ; WILLIAMS, Me 1 ; WOLAVER, Tor 1 ; LINDOW, Laur 2 ; ROBERTS, Lau 1 ; LONG, Greer 2 ; CARY, Chelse 1 ; LATIMER, Meg 1
SB: CARY, Chelse 1
CS: CARY, Chelse 1
HBP: ROBERTS, Lau 1
