Southern Illinois University
20-11, 0
Creighton
14-12, 0
Softball sweeps doubleheader against Creighton
03/27/2010 | 12:00:00 | Softball
March 27, 2010
Game One Box Score
Game Two Box Score
By Beth Miller
www.SIUSalukis.com
CARBONDALE, Ill. - Southern Illinois swept Creighton Saturday in a doubleheader at Charlotte West Stadium. SIU improved to 21-11 overall, while remaining perfect in Missouri Valley Conference play at 6-0. Creighton dropped to 14-13 overall, 2-2 in the Valley.
Southern Illinois handed Creighton its first run-ruled loss of the season in a 9-0, five-inning victory to kick off Saturday's doubleheader. Missouri Valley Conference pitcher of the week, Danielle Glosson, earned her first career no-hitter along with her second complete-game shutout of the season
SIU came back in the second game focused and ready take on the Bluejays, defeating Creighton, 5-2, for the sweep. Freshman Brittney Lang picked up her first conference win as a Saluki, improving to 3-1 overall on the season.
Southern Illinois 9, Creighton 0 (5)
An action-packed first inning would prove to be the power SIU needed to propel past the Bluejays in a dominating 9-0 victory.
All-American pitcher Tara Oltman got the start for Creighton, but was taken out after just one batter. Oltman walked Mallory Duran on four illegal pitches, resulting in her removal from the circle. This marked the first time in Oltman's career that she has been taken out in the first inning. Kylie Hovinga replaced the 2009 MVC Pitcher of the Year.
The rest of the inning was an offensive showcase for the Salukis as they proceeded to put five runs on the board. Chelsea Held started it off with double to the center field wall on a full count. Alicia Garza then singled and advanced to second as the ball deflected off the shortstop's glove, allowing Held to score. Garza scored as Allie Hanson drove one straight down the left field line for an RBI double and a 2-0 lead. Natalee Weissinger was walked, while Cristina Trapani was hit by the pitch from Hovinga to load the bases. Alicia Junker popped one up to shallow right, falling between the shortstop and right fielder, to drive in two more runs and give SIU a 4-0 lead. Sophomore Courtney Kennedy earned her first double of the season, with an RBI double down the left field line for a 5-0 lead over the Bluejays. Kennedy is one of only three players to have hit a single, double and a triple this season.
Katie Wilson and Held scored off an RBI single by Weissinger, for a 7-0 lead in the second inning. The Salukis decided to end things early, as two homeruns in the fourth inning gave them the deciding runs to hand CU its first run-ruled loss of the season. Garza and Hanson both hit their fifth homeruns of the season for the 9-0 lead heading into the fifth inning.
A one-two-three top of the fifth would give SIU the win and Glosson her first career no-hitter. Held went a perfect 2-for-2 with two runs and a double. Hanson went 2-for-3 with two runs and two RBI, grabbing her 23rd RBI of the season.
Southern Illinois 5, Creighton 2
The Salukis came out strong in game two, looking for a sweep over their MVC rival. SIU did not waste any time, scoring all five of their runs in the first inning.
Oltman attempted the start again, but allowed six advances and two runs off of illegal pitches in the first inning before being taken out. Held earned one of SIU's five hits, stealing second and advancing to third on an illegal pitch. Garza was then walked on an illegal pitch, allowing Held to score. Garza advanced to third on an illegal pitch, scoring off of Wilson's RBI double to left field. Wilson would then score off another illegal pitch, as CU's head coach Brent Vigness took Oltman out of the circle for the second time that day. That would be the end of illegal pitches, but a two-run homerun from Weissinger gave SIU a comfortable 5-2 lead to wrap up the inning.
Creighton managed to get on the board in the second inning, but it wasn't enough to stop the Salukis. CU first baseman, Renae Sinkler, came into the series batting .406, but after today's matchup SIU was able to drop her batting average below the .400 mark.
"We had a plan that we wanted to work against Sinkler, and we did not want her to beat us," head coach Kerri Blaylock said. "That was the main thing with that plan, and it worked. Danielle [Glosson] did a really good job."
The Salukis and Bluejays will face off for the final game of the series Sunday at noon. Blaylock will look for her 400th win tomorrow, as Saturday's victories gave her 399th career win in at Southern Illinois. As a team, SIU looks ahead for a three-game sweep over Creighton, a feat that has not been accomplished so far in program history. The last time SIU swept a series against Creighton was in 1997, when conference matchups were played as a two-game series.
"We scored early and we scored frequently, they felt like it was their time to do something," Blaylock said. "What I was proud of is that they didn't come out intimidated at all. They came out focused and wanting to do something."
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Glosson, Danielle (11-7)
L: Hovinga, Kylie (1-5)
Base Running:
HBP: Loeffelholz 1
Batting:
2B: HELD, Chelsea 1 ; Hanson, Allie 1 ; Kennedy, Courtney 1
HR: Garza, Alicia 1 ; Hanson, Allie 1
RBI: Garza, Alicia 2 ; Hanson, Allie 2 ; Weissinger, Natalee 2 ; Junker, Alicia 2 ; Kennedy, Courtney 1
Base Running:
RUNS: HELD, Chelsea 2 ; Garza, Alicia 2 ; Wilson, Katie 1 ; Hanson, Allie 2 ; Weissinger, Natalee 1 ; Trapani, Cristina 1
SB: HELD, Chelsea 1
CS: Duran, Mallory 1 ; HELD, Chelsea 1
HBP: Trapani, Cristina 1
